A Journey of Paw Steps
by bookSmartCat
Summary: Feliciano has always wanted to see the world beyond his yard. Ludwig has never wanted more than what he has. And the strange cat next door who never comes outisde doesn't say much about anything. But when tragedy and hardship throw these felines into an unforgiving world, they will have to reley on themselves and eachother to survive, and find a new place to call home.
1. Chapter 1

**A Journey of Paw Steps**

**Chapter 1:**

The sun peaked its head over the horizon, signaling the beginning of a new day. Golden rays washed over the Nofur Denning Place, lighting the roves, walls, and lawns of the squat dens arranged in neat rows across the land scape. A few Metal Beasts rumbled down the Black Path in the early morning light, but otherwise the Denning Place was quiet. Sunlight filtered through the clear holes in the side of one of the dens, resting their warmth upon the head of a brown tom cat asleep in his soft nest below.

The tom's back was covered with a spot of slightly darker brown, falling in a drizzle like pattern down his back, but unless he was in direct sunlight, the pattern blended seamlessly with the rest of his coat. His snow white paws were tucked under his body, and his mussel of the same color was pressed close to his chest in sleep. The tom's ears twitched in the light, and light brown eyes flickered open to this new dawn. A smile of joy spread across his face, and the tom stretched in his nest before balancing on his hind paws so he could see out of the clear hole. The cat eagerly pressed his pink nose against the invisible wall that separated him from the small area of grass that his Nofurs owned and watched as the world awoke. The sun was just beginning to climb above the pointed roves of the dens across the Black Path, shedding color across the green grass and the fence that bordered his territory. The yellowed light was caught in the beads of dew that clung to the grass, yet to be dried out by the sun's heat. The tom cat released a content sigh, the warmth bathing his head spreading throughout his body. This was the best way to start such a great day. Who was he kidding, every day was great!

The sound of small pellets clinking into his bowl brought the cat out of his basking reverie. His eyes widened with even more excitement, if that was possible, and he dropped to all fours again from the sill; the bronze clips of metal around his bright red collar jingled as he did so. One of the tags proudly stated his name for all Nofurs to read in case he got lost; _Feliciano_. He trotted into the food room with a bounce in his step, as he most often had. Feliciano was one of the most positive creatures who ever existed, and brightened the day of all those who he crossed paths with. If encountering a black cat was bad luck, Feliciano was the exact opposite. Feliciano skidded excitedly into the room, paws slipping on the slick surface as he struggled to turn towards his food bowl. The female Nofur was currently bent over his dish, pouring the tasty round food into the silver container with a _clink, clink _as the hit the sides.

Once the dish was full, she backed off, and Feliciano dashed to the bowl's lip, sticking his head into the pile and scooping up mouthfuls of the food into his maw. The female Nofur cooed above him, and bent to stroke her strange, long paw down Feliciano's back. Not that he minded. He discovered a long time ago that petting him made her happy, so the tom continued to allow her to run her paw down his spine as he munched on today's first meal. The Nofur made more high-pitched noises from overhead in their unusual voices that he could never understand. But judging from the pleased tone emanating from her throat, Feliciano was sure she was showering him with affection.

Halfway through his meal, the Nofur stood and left, climbing the steps upwards to rejoin her mate in their nest. Today was one of the two days of rest, where most Nofurs slept well into the day and did mostly nothing, which was a big change from the bustling activity that consumed all the other days.

_I wonder what compels the Nofurs to rush around so much almost all day every day, but then just stop for two. _Feliciano thought as he chewed. _I guess when you have a group as big as the one in the denning place, everyone has to work hard to watch boundaries and catch prey for everyone. _With a shrug, the brown cat pushed such contemplations from his mind. It's too much of a beautiful day to spend it stuck inside his brain in thought! Swallowing the last of the flavored pellets, Feliciano pranced towards the spot in the wall he knew opened to the outside. A clouded white flap covered a hole close to the bottom of the den opening, a "cat flap" they called it. He placed a white paw on the covering and pushed; it didn't budge.

Feliciano flattened his ears in frustration. _They forgot to open it again!_ The Nofurs always forgot during the days of rest to unblock the flap, preferring to continue to snore in bed than take the time to remember their cat's fondness for early morning exploring around the yard.

_If I have to sit in here again until sun high watching the day disappear, I'll go mad!_ Feliciano silently raged at his Nofurs' forgetfulness. _Well, I know how to take care of this._ He turned with a skip and hopped to where the steps reached the wooden floor, stretching out on his side at the base of the stairs. Taking a deep breath, and filling his lungs with air, Feliciano released a huge yowl. The sound echoed throughout the entire den, rattling the eating dishes in the cabinet, rippling the water in his drinking bowl, and shaking the images surrounded by wood the Nofurs insisted on placing across the wall. There was a loud thud from upstairs, and Feliciano heard a gruff voice cursing in anger from the floor above. He smiled with satisfaction; the male Nofur was awake. There was more shuffling and bumping, accompanied by course shouts Feliciano assumed were Nofur curses slipping from his mouth. Heavy pounding sounded from the top of the stairs, getting louder as the heavy object descended. Getting up in a dash, Feliciano raced towards the den opening, sliding to a stop by the cat flap.

At last the male Nofur reached the bottom of the stairs. The little patch of fur on his head was ruffled and messy, and the scruff along his face was very noticeable today. He wore only his baggy, brightly colored sleeping pelt bottoms, leaving his fuzzy chest bare. The male gazed at Feliciano with a tired expression. The cat tipped his head to one side and meowed again, scratching against the flap with a paw. With an exasperated sigh, the Nofur approached and flipped a switch along the bottom, unlocking the opening with a click. In that instant, Feliciano was gone, dashed out the door in an explosion of fur, leaving a surprised Nofur gazing open mouthed at the swinging flap. Sighing again, he turned and retreated upstairs.

Outside, Feliciano was frolicking through the yard.

"Yaaahoooo!" he cried in joy, jumping into the air after a pretend bird. The feel of sun on his back and grass under his paws, it was all exhilarating. Being outside always excited the tom's instincts. Something about the wild called him to jump, twist, and run, to explore all areas he could cover to with his paws! If only the long planks of wood stuck in the ground didn't bar his way. Feliciano stopped short of the fence and stared longingly at the sky above. Climbing the fence was no problem, the height never stopped him, it was the fact that the fence when on and on, through yards and dens exactly the same in all directions. The size of the border was daunting, and the cat was always afraid of getting lost. But how he would love to see beyond, to run through grass unrestricted by Nofur hands and structures. To climb those wild trees he heard of that could grow larger than the dens. But he was stuck here. In a small square of grass and a small little den.

_Ah well. _He sighed and turned away. _Perhaps in my dreams._ His spirits had dampened in the morning light, and now his brown tail dragged slightly on the ground. Feliciano lifted his head, gazing back towards the fence along the left side of his territory. The roof of the den next door was rising above him like a tall black mountain. A memory from the day before flooded the cat's mind, and he was excited once again.

_Today's no day to be down!_ He meowed to himself as he raced to the opposite side of the yard. _There's news to be spread! _The brown tom crouched low, and leapt with ease to the top of the fence, balancing with practice skill on an edge thinner than a blade of grass. Filling his lungs with air again, he let another howl ring across the nearby yards and into the den on his right, hoping to alert his friend inside.

"LUUUUUUDWIIIIIIIIG!"

"LUUUUUUDWIIIIIIG!" The shout was quiet, muted by distance and by the thickness of the den's walls; to most Nofurs, it would sound like nothing more than a slight ring in their ears, but it was enough to awake the blonde tabby sleeping on his Nofur's desk on the second floor. Blue eyes snapped open and his body stiffened with the shock of being suddenly awoken. The call came again, his name screamed even louder this time from a high voice coming from across the yard.

"Feliciano." The cat growled in a gruff voice. Every day started similar to this one. That cat next door got up at some ungodly hour of the day and made as much racket as possible until he got up. Sighing, the tabby lifted himself into a sitting position, surveying his current surroundings. His Nofur's sleeping room was a mess. Pelts and papers scattered across the floor, along with what used to be food containers and odd shiny boxes for stuff he had no name for. The desk he was sitting on was cluttered as well. Papers bound and loose placed haphazardly around or in messy piles across the wooden surface. Ludwig turned his gaze to the few he was sitting on. The black lines that were dashed across the surface still meant nothing to his mind, no matter how many times he looked at them. Supposedly, they made a series of images, and other Nofurs really wanted them, especially when they were bound and put in the selling dens. But they looked more like a mess to the tom than anything special.

A hefty snore traveled across the room. Speaking of his Nofur, the lazy male was sprawled across his fluffy nest, colored cover half on, half off his body. A trail of drool leaked from his mouth, soaking the fluffed pelt under his head.

_Ugh_ he thought, cringing in disgust. Sometimes, his Nofur was even dirtier that the alley dogs that prowled the streets outside. Feliciano howled again from the fence. This time, the Nofur twitched and stirred in his sleep. Ludwig flinched again. He didn't need the Nofur waking up now, his caretaker was busy most days and deserved the extra sleep in the morning. Something Ludwig wished he could have.

Falling to the floor, the light colored tabby stalked down the stairs and to the cat flap in the front opening. Stepping onto the stone path that cut from the entrance to the gate, Ludwig's ears were assaulted with the full force of Feliciano's voice.

"Gah!" the tom cried as he covered his ears with his paws in pain. Walking over to the fence, Ludwig shot an annoyed look to the brown tom still wailing his fur off overhead. The idiot didn't even see him walk outside! With anger building, Ludwig overpowered Feliciano's call with his own.

"SHUT UP! I'm right here, you tail chewing bee-brain! Stop the yelling already!"

Feliciano cut his caterwauling mid cry as the tabby got his attention.

"Ludwig!" he cried in joy as he tackled his larger set friend. Ludwig let out an _oomph_ as the air was knocked out from him. Despite the size of his smaller friend, all that energy made his impacts as powerful as a boulder hitting his chest.

"G-glad to see you too, Feliciano. C-can you get off me now?" The tabby gave an uncomfortable look towards the brown tom above him.

"Oh! Sure thing, Luddy!" Feliciano bounced off his friend with his usual cheer.

The blonde tabby smiled despite himself as he was reminded again of why he stuck around with Feliciano. He was like a constant ray of sunshine; ever since they were kits, Feliciano spent his life cheering up cats around him when they were sad. His ability to compromise has stopped many a devastating fight in the area, and never allowed life to be boring for a second. This was why he allowed the early morning wake up calls and the constant chattering his ears. Feliciano was the only cat who could make him smile.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, Luddy!" The tom chirped his nickname. "I've got reeeeally important news that you have to hear!" Feliciano was bouncing on the spot from pure excitement.

"What is that?" The tabby asked in his steady voice as he sat down to wash his paws.

"Someone new is moving in next door to me!" He was practically squealing with happiness now.

Ludwig's ears perked up at this new information.

"Yeah! More Nofurs were here yesterday with one of those Metal Beasts with the huuuuge bellies, unloading stuff and taking it inside the den. It took all day for them to get done! And the huge males moving the stuff looked really tired too."

Feliciano went on with his description for a while as Ludwig digested this news. New arrivals were a rare thing around this denning area since most of the dens were occupied already. The den to the left of Feliciano's place had sat empty for who knows how many years, it was long before Ludwig's time, that's for sure. And new always meant interesting. "When are they supposed to get here?"

"I think today! Just before the sun finished moving past the tree tops. Which should be…" Feliciano trailed off as he studied the suns position. He whipped his head back towards Ludwig with a gasp. "Right now!" The brown furred cat leapt to his paws and started butting his head against his friend's side, encouraging him to get up. "Come on, come one! We can't miss it!"

With great urgency, Feliciano bounded over the fence and into his yard once again, with Ludwig following behind at a slower pace. The brown cat was already perched on top of the fence by the time Ludwig was halfway across the yard. As the blonde tabby pulled himself up so his top half was hanging over the edge, a loud rumbling sounded from down the Black Path. A monstrous Metal Beast with a long body and deep stomach roared to a stop by the house. Several male Nofurs stepped out from the Beast's sides and opened it along the back. They began pulling some brown, square containers from its stomach and carried them inside. A smaller Beast with a shiny blue hide pulled around the larger one and into the Metal Beast path by the den. A male and female Nofur couple emerged from it, carrying a small, rounded box with a black handle towards their new home. A few small holes pierced the hide of the carrying box, and through them, Feliciano could make out the fuzzy outline of a cat sitting inside. His body filled with jittery excitement at the thought of a new friend, and he smiled wide while prodding Ludwig with a paw to get his attention.

"Ludwig, Ludwig!" he cried with excitement. "Did you see did you see?"

"Gah! Stop poking me, mouse brain!" His friend growled with annoyance as he pushed the other tom's paws away. "Saw what?"

"There's a cat in there! You know what that means?"

The tabby stared at him in confusion.

Feliciano sighed. "It means we have a new friend!" He turned back towards the couple trudging up the steps towards the den opening. "Heeeeeeeey!" he called. "New cat! New cat! It's us, your new neighbors! We can't wait to be friends! We'll do all kinds of stuff together! We'll-" the tom continued on in this fashion, but the passing group paid him no attention. They entered the den, and swung the flap closed with a slam, cutting Feliciano's welcome speech off mid-sentence. The cat looked crestfallen towards the opening, ears flattening in disappointment.

"Aww. The cat didn't even turn to greet me!"

"What do you expect?" Ludwig questioned in a bored voice. "Stuck in an unknown place like this, that cat must be out of his mind with anxiety."

Feliciano looked with confusion towards his friend. "But I was only ever being friendly."

He shrugged. "Some cats aren't as anxious to be friends."

With this, Ludwig dropped to the ground, now losing interest in the event. The tabby settled by a bush in the yard and continued his morning bath. Feliciano walked over to him with less pep than before and joined his friend in grooming under the bush. Perhaps he would have more luck with this new cat tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Several sunrises had passed since the unknown cat had arrived next door to Feliciano. And no matter how hard the brown tom tried, the cat next door never left the den. Each day he tried, and each day his hopes were crushed as no cat emerged from the flap when he called out across the lawn.

"Leave it alone." Ludwig stated from below the fence. "He'll come out when he's ready."

"But who knows when that will be! I wanna play noooooow!" Feliciano whined in despair.

"Cut that caterwauling. You sound like a kit." The blonde tabby cuffed his friend over the ear with a paw as Feliciano dropped down beside him. But despite Ludwig's teasing, the brown cat continued to sit with a sad look adorning his features. Giving a sigh, Ludwig stood up. He hated dropping to this level, but his friend since kit hood needed some cheering up. He bounded back towards the bush in Feliciano's yard and scooped his favorite toy out from under the branches; a fake mouse with a squeaker inside. Giving it a toss, he allowed it to fall right at Feliciano's paws. This caught his attention. The tom looked towards his best friend, who crouched low with his tail held high in a play position Feliciano had hardly ever seen him in.

"Come on!" he goaded his friend. "It'll get away if you just sit there like that!"

Feliciano's face brightened, and he chuckled as he took a swing at the toy, sending the tiny gray body towards his friend with a squeak. Ludwig batted it away with a grunt, and it rolled and squeaked across the lawn.

"It's escaping!" Ludwig cried as he dashed after it.

"Oh no!" Feliciano shouted with a meow of laughter as he chased his friend.

This was the pattern they settled into. Up early in the morning, playing with toys in Feliciano's yard until night fell and the Nofurs called them inside. Feliciano never gave up trying to coax out the cat next door. He tried every morning, but he never succeeded. But sometimes, when he and Ludwig were playing with toys in the yard, Feliciano would see movement in the window. He would look over, and the shadow of a black cat would be there, gazing towards them and watching with curious eyes. Feliciano would drop the toy and bound towards the fence to great him again, but the shadow would always disappear from the window before he could speak. This was the pattern that the passing days of summer took up, and the cats were content with their lot. But life often has other plans, and as they soon discovered, peace and harmony can be ripped from under their paws at any moment.

It was in the dead of night one day, when the entire world was so cool and dark that even the crickets had retired to sleep, leaving complete silence in their wake. Ludwig was snoozing on his back, spread at the foot of his Nofur's bed, when a disturbance shifted the air. The tabby felt a chill run down his spine, and his hackles lifted uncontrollably as he jerked away from his dreams. With pupils widened to take advantage of what light there was, he scanned the room searching for danger but found none. The tom rolled to his stomach, the fur still ruffled around his shoulders. Something wasn't right. Then, the slightest trembling shook the room, unnoticeable at first, but steadily growing in strength until Ludwig could feel the entire house swaying like a leaf in the breeze. Fear shot through him from nose to tail. The earth was growling! A splintering sound reached his ears, and he heard groaning from the wooden floor below. Cracks had begun to appear circling his Nofur's nest.

_Oh no._ Was the only thought Ludwig had time for as the floor broke away, sending him and his Nofur tumbling and screaming to the ground below.

The earth tremors had flung Feliciano from his comfy nest, and his entire body stiffened out of fear as he absorbed the destruction around him. Everything was shaking to the point the cat could barely stay on is paws. Pieces of the den were falling from above and the entire structure felt like it was shifting. Suddenly, huge planks of wood collapsed from above, crashing into the floor with a thunderous sound as the den was ripped apart at the seams. One of the planks shifted and fell with frightening speed towards him, and survival instinct gained control of Feliciano's body. The tom raced out of the beam's path, moving with incredible grace and speed through the piles of rubble. He finally reached an open space where not much debris had fallen. The only issue, this was the back opening! There was no cat flap cut into the bottom he could use to escape. Planning to turn and run to the den's front, Feliciano was stopped short by an avalanche of dust, dirt, and wood which blocked his return path. Fear shifted to absolute terror as the brown tom considered the fact he could die here tonight.

_No! No, I won't die now!_ Turning with a mixture of determination and panic, Feliciano scratched at the wooden covering with as much force as his claws could muster. The flimsy tools made little dents while the den disintegrated around him. Despite the hopeless effort this was, Feliciano continued his efforts, begging some cat, any cat, alive or some kind of dead spirit, to give him a way out. As if in response, another piece of wood fell in Feliciano's direction. He ducked out of the way as it made contact with the wood opening. There was a sickening splintering noise as the barrier was crushed in half. Breathing his thanks to whatever beings were watching from above, Feliciano jumped out of the new exit as the den finally gave way behind him. Feliciano cleared the debris cloud with his powerful leap, hauling himself farther through the backyard, the feline stopped to rest. The tom wheezed as his lungs choked on poison dust, and he turned his vision to the dens nearby. The ground still shook, though less violently, and other dens rumbled and caved in nearby. One on the worst was the one next door, to the right of his fence which was now a pile of splintered wood, the house he had seen every day but now could now believe it was gone. Such worry and despair flooded his senses that it drove Feliciano to run towards the debris, despite his muscles screaming for rest. The once proud building now piles of rubble on the yard, all he could think to do was desperately call out his friend's name.

"LUUUUUUUUUUDWIIIIIIIIIG!"

Ludwig's ears were ringing. That was the first thing he was aware of as his mind drifted back into consciousness. The next thing to reach him was the smell. The air smelled of dust and death, a horrible sent that almost caused him to choke on his breath. The cat's eye sight returned. Blinking them open, the entire world started out blurry and spinning, until eventually, all came into focus again. He was lying in a clear spot on what used to be the first floor tiles, surprisingly unhurt and surrounded by rubble. Checking his body, he counted for all limbs parts and senses. Nothing was missing or broken.

_If only I could stop myself from shaking._ He thought. Then he noticed, it wasn't just him. The earth was still rumbling and growling beneath his paws. The danger had not passed. Now's no time to rest. He must escape. Shakily rising to his paws, the tabby struggled to walk through the towering heaps of dirt. The entire roof had collapsed on top of the destroyed den bottom, covering the entire thing and keeping him locked inside. This was no good. Turning to observe the area around him, Ludwig found a most horrid sight. Something that chilled his bones and fluffed his fur to twice his size.

"Oh no…" He whispered solemnly. At the center of the clear spot was his Nofur's nest, crushed beneath a pile of wood from one of the walls. Leaking from underneath, were copious amounts of blood, trickling like steams from underneath. Only one thing could be under there.

"Nofur…"he whispered again, voice cracking with grief. The only creature who had been kind enough to take him off the street. Who fed him, played with him, and included him in all aspects of his life, dead under the weight of the heavy branches he called home. A piece if his life had been ripped out with jagged claws, leaving a hole in Ludwig's heart that brought the cat to the verge of tears.

_It's over._ He thought. _If Nofurs, the most unstoppable creatures I've ever seen can't survive this, how can I possibly hope to get out? _The blonde tabby sank to the floor, curling into a ball, and resigned to wait for death with his Nofur.

Breaking through Ludwig's grief stricken silence, a quiet call leaked through the ruined walls. It sounded suspiciously like his name. Ludwig's ears pricked at the sound. But that couldn't be. Who would call him? The voice broke through the walls again, louder this time.

"LUUUUUUUUDWIIIIIIIIIIG!"

_Feliciano! _Ludwig rose with a jolt. Feliciano was alive, and outside! The tabby dashed towards the nearest wall that enclosed him, sniffing for a way out. How could he be so stupid? Of course Ludwig's den wasn't the only one affected. Feliciano was in danger too. He needed Ludwig to protect him. And Ludwig needed him to say alive. He followed the sound of his friend's voice, searching for any weak spot that he could push through. Then, the voice dropped in volume, as if the caller was walking away.

_No no no!_

"Feliciano!" Ludwig cried in his booming voice. "Feliciano! I'm here! Keep calling!"

"Ludwig?" the muffled voice sounded with disbelief. "You're in there?" The cat's voice seemed to be breaking with emotion.

"I'm here, Feliciano! Keep talking! I'll follow your voice out!"

"O-okay, Ludwig!" Feliciano almost cried with relief. His friend was still here. He didn't have to face this new world alone. Feliciano continued to call out.

"I'm here, Ludwig! I'm here!" He continued on like that, shouting at the collapsed wall that separated him from his kit friend. Finally, he saw a piece of the wall heave and shudder. Ludwig was behind it, pushing at the weak boards with all his might. Running up towards him, Feliciano grabbed and edge, and pulled towards himself. With a satisfying splinter and a sickening crack, the blonde tabby he knew so well tumbled out onto the grass before him, gasping for breath.

"LUDWIG!" Feliciano screamed as he flung himself onto his friend, licking his ears and face clean of dust.

"Are you okay?" he questioned between licks.

"I'm… I'm alright." Ludwig breathed as his body relaxed.

"Here, let me help you up." Feliciano braced his shoulder against Ludwig and allowed the tabby to lean on him as he stood trembling to his paws. Just as the cats had caught their balance, another huge ripple shook the earth bellow, and more things crashed to the ground in the distance. The den to the left of Feliciano's, which had stood up better than the rest, creaked and shuddered as a beam of wood fell from the center of the slightly collapsed building, and hit a gas tank that fueled the Nofur cooking machine. A thunderous explosion echoed through the denning place as flames sprung to life in the ruined den, crackling and licking around the fallen wood and debris. From one of the few seeing holes that were still standing, Feliciano saw that black cat from before, pressed against the clear material and screaming and pawing in fear. He was trapped in a collapsed part of the house with a fire creeping towards this currently safe spot. Feliciano gasped in shock.

"Ludwig, he needs our help!" With a nod of conformation from his friend, the felines dashed into their unknown neighbor's yard.

The cat stopped screaming as they approached the clear opening, pleading with his eyes at the strangers who had come to help him.

"Don't worry," Feliciano called reassuringly. "We'll get you out!"

The cat nodded with understanding as the other two searched for an escape method. Feliciano cursed the strange material that kept the cat trapped inside. Why couldn't the Nofurs just leave a few holes in their dens? It'd keep incidents like this from happening. The black cat pressed farther to the clear opening as flames continued to march along the wood towards him.

"Ludwig!" Feliciano called with worry.

"I'm thinking!" The tabby called with frustration bellow.

Feliciano's gaze caught on a small latch halfway up the clear hole. He'd seen the male Nofur use that to open it many times before. That could be a way out. Grabbing the white latch in his jaws, the cat pulled and tugged on the opening device. From below, Ludwig could see the material that covered the opening wiggle, shake, and shift as Feliciano continued. A small gap opened at the bottom. Ludwig gasped.

"Feliciano!"

"Hm?" The cat called, breaking from his work.

"No, no! Keep doing that! It's opening at the bottom! Hold on! I've got an idea!"

With new determination, Feliciano kept at it while Ludwig examined the debris around them. Locating a solid stick, the tabby dragged it back to where Feliciano continued to struggle with the latch. The gap had widened enough to a point that Ludwig could shove the end of the branch through. With a heavy grunt, he lifted the splintered stick and wedged it in between the bottom of the hole covering and the wall.

"Feliciano, help me!"

Time was against them. The fire crept closer and now the black cat had pressed most of his body against the clear material. Ludwig wrenched downward, throwing all of his weight towards the ground in an effort to lift the stick. Feliciano assisted by pressing down with all his might from above. The branch creaked and the window shifted enough for the cat to stick his paw out. Farther and farther it shifted, until he could fit his head through. Relief spread through Feliciano. It was working!

As the cat wiggled himself halfway under the gap, a snapping sound brought the trio's attention to the stick. The tip was beginning to buckle under the pressure. At this rate it was bound to snap off and release the covering back into its last position, crushing the cat underneath. With frantic urgency, Ludwig summoned strength he didn't know he had and pressed down on the branch harder, freeing the gap up so the strange cat could fly out from underneath. Just as his back paws cleared the sill, the stick broke, and the cover snapped shut with a slam that caused both other cats to flinch at the thought of being caught under it.

"Come on! We can't stay here!" Ludwig urged the cats onward as they ran past the sides of the now collapsed dens and onto the stretch of open grass by the Black Path. As they slowed to a stop, all three felines collapsed to the ground, panting and shaking out of fear and weariness. Feliciano's eyes began to droop.

_Can't… sleep… now…_ He struggled to focus his mind. _Not… safe… So… many… questions… _ But sleep won his mind, as it did with the others, and all three drifted off as the world burned around them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Evening sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, speckling the forest floor like a cheetah's pelt. The expansive forest outside of the denning place consisted mostly of tall oaks that kept the area thickly in shadow. In a cleared area of the wood, a squat woodland cottage sat in the mists of a sprawling vegetable garden. The aging cottage was situated at a slouching, leaning angle, the panels covered in dirt and dust.

Atop the brown shingled roof of the den, a brown tom paced back and forth across the edge. The cat's pelt was a deep brown, with pale colored patches on his paws, face, and spine. Stopping in the midst of his lap, the tom lifted his gaze out towards the top of the trees in the area. Rising even higher above the oaks were the peaks of metal spires that made up the denning place farther out in the distance.

Lovino growled in frustration, gazing longingly at the tops of the metallic Nofur structures. He began to bite and scratch at the thick grey collar strapped tightly around his neck for the tenth time that day; the effort was as fruitless as usual. Yowling in rage, the tom flopped onto his back and lay there in a slump of depression. Another day, still not out of this cage. If only this star forsaken collar would come off, then he could get past the garden wall without getting the life shocked out of him.

The sound of clinking eating dishes drifted from the open window bellow his perch; the elderly Nofur was preparing for her afternoon meal. Which means he had enough time to watch the sun finish sinking before getting called and locked in the rest of the night. Sighing, he allowed past memories to flood his mind as he watched the sun tick past in the sky.

_How long has it been now?_ Lovino questioned somberly. _Moons? Seasons? I'm losing track in this star forsaken place! _The elderly Nofur was kind to him and all, but he could never forgive the one who keeps him away from the one cat he cares about, no matter how sweet she was. _My brother._ Lovino practically moaned in his head. _My poor brother! How could I have left you there like that?_

His attention returned to the denning place. _Are you out there somewhere? Are you even still alive? Is my entire reason to keep going pointless? _Sadness gripped his soul at the possibility of his defenseless little brother, dead in an alley or by the side of a Black Path. But, there was also the possibility that he still lived; was wondering around on his own and needing his help.

_No! _He rose to his paws in determination. He was out there, he had to be! Lovino's brother was no quitter! Lovino's family is a family of survivors! _I swear, brother! I will find you again! Just wait for me a little longer._

At last the sun was down, night covered the land, and a high pitched call came from inside. The Nofur wanted him in. Lovino sat perched on the roof, sitting as still as possible in the darkness. He hoped that the Nofur's damaged sight would pass him by if she came to look, and that she would give up and leave him in the garden tonight. It's not like he could really go anywhere, but some feeling was tugging at his fur, like tonight would be his chance.

At last, the lights within flickered off, and Lovino breathed out in relief as full darkness settled across him, the moon barely a slit of light in the sky.

_Now what?_ It was the one thing he hadn't thought out. Now what? He was stuck on the roof of a place surrounded by mysterious poles that shocked him when he tried to get past. How to get out? Growling, the tom flopped on his stomach again, heavy collar smacking with a _thunk_ against the roof.

_That's it!_ The collar was the secret! If Lovino could get it off, he would be free to pass through the lightning barrier. He leapt to his paws, head swiveling, pupils widened in the dark. Across the roof, he spotted a piece that jutted slightly out from the rest. He had seen that twisted slab of bark so many times before, even tripped over the piece of fox dung from time to time. Yet he never even thought of it as an escape until now!

_Gah! I'm such a dung faced bee brain! My brother's out there in the denning place and I had a possible escape for a while now! _He bounded over to the wood block, and slipped the edge of the strap around the pointed edge.

_Let's hope this works._ Lovino began to rub his neck back and forth across the stick, the collar's material making a low scratching sound as it slid past the splintered wood. It was very slow going at first, but at last, Lovino felt a layer of the fabric give, strings tearing in half as he continued to saw.

_It's working!_ Lovino's mind flooded with pleasing thoughts of finding his brother again, to rejoin him at that box they called home in the alley, to hunt by the rubbish bins once more, perhaps catching the occasional mouse in the park. Life was looking up again! Too bad the worst thing possible decided to happen at that moment.

It started as a sound in the distance, low and rumbling like an empty stomach. Then, something moved in the distance. Huge oaks were rippling across the ground, moving up and down like floating logs on a wave. It was shifting closer and closer. Lovino's eyes widened in fear, struggling to free himself as the ripple ran smack into the den.

With a huge surge, the ground gave way ripping all plants and structures from the ground. The already weakened cottage gave out, the entire building tipping backwards and caving in on itself. Lovino screamed in terror as the roof buckled and slid back. The force of the launch snapped the collar at last, and sent him flying past the barrier into the forest beyond.

Sun blaring through the trees warmed Lovino's head, and coaxed his eyes into blinking open again. It was morning, and he was somewhere deep in the forest, surrounded on all sides by sturdy trees. The tom groaned as he tried to move his body. That was a bad idea. The shock of pain crippled his legs and sent him to the floor again. Everything hurt. His ears rung and his eyes stung from excess dirt and dust. The force of that ground roar and sent him soaring into the tree line somewhere, and thought the impact hadn't broken anything, good _stars_ did it hurt!

At last, his body loosened enough to allow him to stand, rubbing a sore spot on his neck with a paw. Wait. His neck. There was nothing around his neck! Leaping to his paws, Lovino craned his head to look at his chest. The grey strap was gone at last! The cat practically leapt with joy, dancing around on the forest floor, kicking up leaves and fallen sticks in excitement.

"I'm free! Free!" The yowl echoed throughout the forest, scattering birds in trees and sending mice into their holes. With a gasp, his sight became trained on those familiar black spires that rose like mountains scratching at the sky.

"My brother… You're somewhere in there. Don't worry, big bro Lovino's coming at last!"

And ignoring his worn muscles, the brown tom dashed through the trees and over roots and rocks in his way.

_Life's finally looking up!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

"Huff… huff… huff…" Lovino trudged onward with dragging paw steps deeper into the woods. The sun had slowly drifted into sunhigh, and though the trees provided plenty of shade under the canopy, the ground had grown hot and the air stuffy. Lovino's muscles screamed out louder than before, demanding a break. It was _not _a good idea to start an expansive journey at a run. Not to mention, he had been walking for half the day and the metal tops of the denning place were no closer than before. How far out was his cottage? It surely couldn't have been this long?

_Oh stars… what if it's not real?_ The manic thought entered his mind through the heat fueled delirium.

_Of course! No cat has this kind of luck, just one thing after another to help me find my brother… I have to be dreaming! Oh, and it's turned into a terrible nightmare, doomed to just keep waaalking, and waaalking on and on until I wake. Oh fate! Why do you torture me so? _Then the ground beneath him disappeared, and Lovino found himself tumbling down a cliff.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Lovino wailed as he fell. _Not a dream! Not a dream!_

Something wrapped firmly around his back and pulled him to a stop, dangling precariously over the trees bellow. A strand of vines hanging from the cliff wall had caught him and left the cat swinging in midair. The tom was huffing rapidly in panic, struggling to calm his racing heart. Breathing a moment, he took in the area. The part of the forest he was in before ended in a sudden cliff that stretched out in all directions. Just below, the forest continued onward. As Lovino turned his head, the sun's glint caught off of some structure and blinded his sight. Blinking a few times over, the tom's vision cleared and he could see metal towers as well as squatter dens off in the distance.

_The denning place! _He thought with relief. He had been getting closer, the raised tree line had just blocked his vision. _Now… how do I get down?_

The tendrils around him began to strain and snap under his weight.

_Oh, fox dung! _Lovino found himself falling again, spiraling towards the trees.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

Halfway through his scream, a flash of silver fur shot from the interlocking branches of the birch he was passing. The figure thudded into his side, powerful jaws clamped firmly around his scruff, and changed his direction towards the tree next to him. They landed heavily in the upper branches, the figure dropping him securely on the thickest portion of the limb.

Lovino was breathing heavily, fur fluffed in fear once more. The thing next to him was breathing in a rushed manor as well, but it was the first to recover.

"Man! That was a close one!" A mew with an arrogant air to it sounded from next to him. Lovino turned his head to acknowledge his rescuer. In the light filtering through the branches, a white tabby with silver stripes sat next to Lovino. His eyes were red like blood, but he had an excited and adventurous smile stretched across his face.

"Wh-who are you?" Lovino questioned between gasps.

The silver tabby chuckled to himself.

"Who am I? Why, fellow tom, I am Gilbert!" The cat stood in a triumphant pose on the branch.

"Am I supposed to know you?"

"Uh, duh! Of course! I thought there wasn't a cat alive who didn't hear of my great escapades! I guess I was locked up for longer than I thought…"

"Wait, locked up?" Was Lovino standing next to a mad cat?

"Never mind, never mind! That's not important anymore." The silver tabby just flashed that arrogant smile once more in Lovino's direction. Lovino frowned. He'd had enough of this. Shrugging to his paws, he leapt down the tree, earning a confused look from Gilbert, who chased after him.

"Hey, wait!" Lovino stopped with a sigh and turned back.

"Listen, uh, Gilbert, was it? I'm grateful for your help, but I really need to keep going. I've got no time to waste." The brown cat turned and kept walking.

"Hold up!" The tabby shouted again. "Aren't you heading towards the denning place?"

Lovino halted again. "Yes? So?"

"Didn't you realize you're going the wrong way?"

Lovino paused. "What? The denning place is straight ahead. You can see the den tops from here!" He pointed with his tail to the metal outcrops above.

Gilbert let out a mew of laughter. "Yeah, But the whole thing is surrounded by a huge lightning fence that no cat could climb. The only entrance is half way around in this direction!" he pointed to the place he was heading.

Lovino felt his fur grow hot. This mad cat had jumped strait out of nowhere, and was already making him look mouse brained!

Gilbert chuckled again. "C'mon, let's walk there together, I'll show you how to get in."

Lovino stalked back towards him.

"Fine, I guess." He replied coolly. "At least until we reach the gate."

"Great! Race ya there!" In a flash the tabby bounded up the hill and disappeared over the crest.

"Hey, wait! Lovino shouted, flustered, as he pelted after Gilbert.

The sound of Gilbert's laughter was carried by the wind as they ran.

"Sorry, um, what was your name?"

"Lovino!" the tom shouted ahead.

"Lovino! Sorry, but awesome cats run at awesome speeds!" and with more giddy laughter from Gilbert, the two ran deeper into the forest, tracking in a semi-circle around the denning place.

_If you wish to see the full cover for this story, look here:_ art/Hetalia-A-Journey-of-Paw-Steps-465826103?ga_submit_new=10%253A1404584399

_If you are looking for good mood music for this story, check out The Manic by Amarante._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Farther in the denning place than the spread out Nofur dens, were the Nofur dens that were all put in tight little rows, and set so close to each other that their sides pressed against each other. They had no front yards of their own, but the back yards were open, spacious, and all surrounded by brick walls on each side. It was in the back of one of these smushed dens that a ginger tom lay upon the grass, rhythmically stroking his fur, oblivious to the sounds around him; especially the rustling from the rose bush behind him.

Sky blue eyes gleamed from beneath the branches, and long furred haunches wiggled and bunched in preparation. The feline under the bush twitched and shivered with laughter, letting a few giggles slip past his mouth that the ginger tom would have heard had he been paying any attention. With a final creep forward, the rose bush exploded with leaves and petals as the cat flung itself high into the sky above its prey.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the bush cat cried.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the tom below yowled in surprise as the giggling ball of fur rammed into his side and bowled him over. The two cats rolled in the grass for a bit before the ginger tom stopped on his back. A long furred young cream tom with ginger spots on his fur stood triumphantly with both forepaws planted firmly on his stomach.

"Alfred!" the ginger groaned in exasperation as the younger cat continued to giggle uncontrollably.

"Hehehe! Gotcha Arthur!" the tom continued to gloat above him.

"Get. Off, you git!" Arthur growled as he heaved Alfred off of him. For a cat who was smaller than him, all that long fur added a few extra pounds to his weight. "And do something about the kibble weight, would you?" Arthur teased his brother as he got back up.

"Hey!" The tom rebuttled. "It's not fat, it's fur!" But Alfred was in a good mood today, so the insult slipped from his mind and he was back to pawing at his older brother's tail. "C'mon, Arthur! Let's play!"

"No."

"Whaaaaat?" he whined. "You say that every day! Why are you such a stick in the mud?"

"I'm not being a stick in the mud, I'm being an adult."

"Adult? You're only one season cycle older than us!"

"But that's one more than you or Matthew have experienced." Arthur shot back. "That makes me your adult, and adults don't play." Arthur jabbed the last bit at Alfred with a sharp tone, and the tom gave up, padding away while Arthur settled back into his grooming.

As Alfred trudged to the other end of the yard, he spotted his other brother, Matthew. The small cream tom was laying on one of the Nofur sitting platforms next to the spot where they ate dinner outside. He was cuddling a huge stuffed white bear, a toy he had kept since the Nofurs gave it to him as a kit. That bear was very special to him, and if Matthew was around, no one else got to play with it. Alfred's playful desire came back, and he dropped into a sloppy hunting crouch, stalking through the short grass to his brother and giggling all the way. Alfred stopped in the shadow of the sitting platform. Matthew was snoring soundly, mussel snuggled into the teddy's stomach fur. Alfred giggled some more as he slowly reached up towards the bear's arm. With a grunt, Alfred ripped the stuffed toy off the spot and onto the ground. Matthew woke with a start, letting out a yelp as he was thrown onto his side. Alfred was strait up laughing now, mumbling around the fluffy bear's fur as he started to run in laps around the yard.

"Matthew, Matthew!" Alfred shouted. "C'mon! You want the bear? Gotta catch me! HAHAHAH!"

Matthew continued to sit on the platform, curled into a small ball with an anxious look on his face. He wasn't much for playing with others, even if it was his own brother. And when Alfred pulled tricks like this on him, Matthew always took it seriously and thought he was being bullied.

"Arthur!" Matthew cried. "Alfred took my bear again!"

Arthur just turned his head and continued cleaning his fur, leaving Matthew looking very upset. Arthur didn't like to see his brother cry, but Matthew seriously needed to grow a back bone!

Gathering courage, Matthew leapt uncertainly to the ground and bounded after Alfred, who had been standing in the middle of the yard. Seeing Matthew trotting up with a nervous look on his face, Alfred raced away in the opposite direction. Huffing in annoyance, Matthew increased his speed, racing harder after his brother. Alfred continued to bounce ahead of him, dancing across the grass and tossing teases back at him.

"C'mon, Alfred!" Matthew whined. "That's enough! Give him back!"

"Hahaha! No way, kitteh! I said you gotta catch me, so you gotta catch me!"

"But I'm tired and he's mine!" Matthew sounded on the verge of tears.

After their third lap around, Matthew's paw hit a rock, sending the young tom face first into the ground. Alfred skidded to a stop just ahead, bear dangling from his jaws. Matthew lifted his mussel from the ground, dirt and mud smeared across his cheeks. His lavender eyes began to water, and Alfred gulped knowing what was coming next.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The cream tom wailed lowed and high, echoing across the yard and hurting his brother's ears. He continued to cry and wail profusely, until he felt something soft tap his cheek. Still sniffling, Matthew saw his bear's faced pressed right into his. Squealing with joy, he grabbed the toy and hugged it close. Alfred was standing above him, a sorry expression on his features. Matthew nodded in forgiveness and pushed the white bear back towards him in an invitation to play. Smiling with happiness, Alfred jumped on the chew toy wrestling with its front paw while Matthew bounced on its stomach, both toms giggling with laughter.

Arthur smiled as he watched from his spot in the yard. The bond the two had was amazingly strong, which was exactly what they both needed with the life they had been given. Arthur had been part of their mom's first litter, while Alfred and Matthew had come along later. Arthur had been chosen to stay, instead of going off with another family, so he could be around to raise and breed litters of his own with a female. Alfred and Matthew, however, had been forced to stay here. Alfred was too rambunctious to keep, and though he kept getting picked, he was always returned in the next two days. Matthew was the runt, the cat no one wanted. He was kicked out of the nest as a kit; their mom had seen runts before and knew he would not survive the night. But the Nofurs never submitted to nature. They removed Matthew and nursed him themselves until he reached and appropriate weight.

The Nofurs had given up on giving either of them away, and Arthur, out of compassion and sense of duty to his kin, had placed his plans of breeding to the side to care for his brothers. This is why he had no intention of joining them in play fights or yard races, he had to act as their father. And fathers don't play. The young cats wrestled and fought well into the evening. Arthur had moved to sitting at the top of the brick wall, keeping watch for danger. Not that any existed, but it's what fathers do, right? Eventually, the Nofurs called them inside just as the stars began to appear over the horizon.

Within the Nofur den, near the end of the sitting room, there was a cat house on the top of a pole, with several fuzzy platforms arranged like steps to the top. Climbing the stairs, the three brothers climbed in and settled within the shelter. Alfred and Matthew curled around each other in the center, pushing and shoving playfully until Arthur thwaped them both with his tail to get them to stop. As the young cats finally settled, Arthur encircled them until both were pressed against his side. The lights beyond flickered off as the Nofurs retired to their nest. Arthur looked back towards his younger brothers. It was easy to tell they were related. Though Alfred had uncharacteristic orange spots, both had cream tones to their long, shaggy fur. Matthew almost seem to blend into Alfred, making the tom look twice his size. While Arthur, well, no one knew where his colors came from. No one in his family or litter had ginger fur, or these strange brown stripped above his eyes that the Nofurs called his "big bushy eyebrows," whatever those are. He had always been teased for the odd fur colors by his kin, and though he knew they meant well, it always made him feel like he belonged outside the group.

It wasn't too bad. After all, if Arthur had elected to go with his littermates, he wouldn't have been here. Then who would have taken care of Matthew or kept their eyes on Alfred.

_I've got a good lot in life._ With that reformation, Arthur lowered his head, wrapping his tail closer around the brothers, and drifted off to sleep.

Arthur felt something pushing against his shoulder. In the midst of his sleep, he lazily pawed the thing away with a groan, rolling onto his back and trying to get back to sleep. The shoving came again, and Arthur growled in annoyance as he started to wake. A muted voice echoed in his ear next to him. As he finally struggled into full awareness, he realized it was Alfred. The young tom was pushing against his side, whispering urgently into his ear.

"Arthur. Arthur! Arthur, wake up! It's urgent!"

At this, Arthur jolted upwards, gazing quickly around at the cat house.

"What's wrong?" He spoke quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're both okay." Alfred mewed, his eyes shifted to Matthew for a moment. "At least, we are right now." The cream tom was huddled in the corner, fur fluffed to its full extent in fear, making him appear twice as large.

"What's up, Matthew?" Arthur asked with a soft voice.

"Matthew says his tail fur's got the shivers again." Alfred mentioned worriedly.

Arthur froze as he turned back to Alfred.

"Tail shakes? You sure?" Matthew nodded his head from the corner.

"W- we have to get out. We're not safe here." His lavender eyes were wide and his whole body shook.

Arthur and Alfred found out about a season ago that Matthew had some kind of special gift. As the male Nofur was climbing a leader by the den one day, Matthew's tail fur started to twitch and shake, and he said something was really wrong. A few moments later, the Nofur fell, and hit his arm hard against the ground. He was in so much pain, that a white Metal Beast was called in to take him to the Nofur healer. Ever since then, Matthew got tail shakes whenever he felt danger was near, and all of them proved to be right. This was the worst Arthur had ever seen him. His entire body was vibrating like a shaking leaf, and he kept muttering, "something wrong… something bad…" Arthur felt the fur along his spine lift. Was something really bad coming? Arthur shrugged it off. Matthew was still practically a kit, and kits made mistakes, good intuition or no.

_I gotta calm him down._ Arthur stretched his body out, keeping his voice and demeanor calm as he spoke.

"Matthew, Alfred, come on, we're going to take a walk outside." With some coaxing from his tail, both young toms tumbled down the stairs and towards the door. Taking the cat flap out, Arthur led them to the brick wall at the far side. As they approached, Alfred and Matthew saw the wall as a mountain, and looked towards Arthur in disbelief as he told them to climb up. He rolled his eyes at them.

"I'll help you." Arthur lowered his head to the ground and allowed Alfred to place his paws on his head. With a grunt, Alfred grabbed the edge of the bricks and pulled himself to the top. Matthew took a bit longer with his shaken legs, but soon enough, all three were perched above the wall.

The night was quiet, the stars were bright, and the moon looked to Alfred as if someone had scratched a claw across the sky. The den they lived at was positioned on a hill, higher up than most others, giving them a good vantage point of the rest of the neighborhood. All other dens were dark that night, every Nofur in the area was in bed. The only sound was the trickling stream of water that ran along the side of the Black Path and into the rain grates. The air was cool, and the night was calm, with no disturbance in sight.

"See?" Arthur murmured soothingly as he ran his tail down Matthew's back in comfort. "There's nothing wrong here."

The world loves when people say that. With a sudden roar, the ground moved and shook, bricks along the wall shifted out of place and toppled out of their spots and down the hill. Dens all over wobbled and teetered, several coming down within a few minutes of the shaking. Noise broke though the past silence, and all hell broke loose in the form of screaming, barking, and crying as souls were shaken from bed in the chaos. The wall fell forward, and the three brothers went tumbling down the hillside.

Alfred and Matthew were screaming in terror, but Arthur reacted quickly. Striking a paw against the ground, the ginger tom righted himself and dove towards his brothers. Wrapping both front paws around them, Arthur took the ground's impact with his shoulder, tucking into a roll while clutching both toms to his chest. They rolled for a good few minutes before a sturdy obstacle blocked their path and brought Arthur to a stop. He released the two and turned to lick his aching shoulder, the area was sore and it hurt Arthur immensely to try and stand. Alfred and Matthew gave him worried looks from where they crouched near the Metal Beast paw that had ceased their tumbling.

"I'm okay." He assured them. Though he was still pretty shaken himself. That earth shake had come completely out of nowhere, and suddenly the entire landscape had changed.

A thick layer of smoke and dust obscured most of the scenery, creating vague shadows and leaving the rest to imagination. Dens leaned deformed and seemingly frozen in the mists of falling over, the sound of occasional rubble hitting the ground echoed through the streets. Nofurs screamed and ran in a total panic, grabbing items and loved ones as they bolted from dens and flooded across the Black Paths. Arthur lashed out his tail to sweep Alfred and Matthew from under the feet of a rushing Nofur. Arthur growled and almost considered lunging towards him as the male ran past.

_Does no one see that there are kits in the street?_ Arthur nosed the two to their feet.

"Come, we need to find a way out of here." The brothers pelted down the chaotic path, weaving and dodging around the towering figures that thudded past. Matthew stumbled as they ran, and fell in the path of a baby mover. Turning on a dime, Arthur lunged and snagged Matthew by his scruff, dragging him out of the way. Arthur carried the terrified tom, though he was so big now most of his tail dragged the ground, as Alfred made quick strides next to him in an effort to keep up.

_Gah. We have to find somewhere for shelter. _A loud groaning that over powered every other sound ground all movement on the Black Path to a halt. One of the larger dens, which had been standing mostly intact above them, was now leaning dangerously close towards the street. Metal beams began to buckle and bricks tumbled to the hard packed ground below. Someone from the crowd screamed, and the hypnotic trance the clustered group was in broke as chaos erupted once more. Arthur, Alfred, and Matthew found themselves trapped between the Black Path and the curb, the forest of fleeing legs closing any escape route they found. The den was leaning closer, gravity beginning to pull at the structure. Alfred turned to Arthur with frightened eyes.

"Arthur, what do we do?" he wailed above the sound of panic.

_ I… I don't know!_ Hopelessness grew in Arthur's chest as the bricks descended closer; faster. A paw jab brought him to the present. Matthew was pointing rapidly to the curb.

"Arthur!" He had seen one of the grates; the many openings along the Black Path that take extra rain water underground.

_Brilliant!_ The ginger tom shouted to himself. Arthur flung himself at Alfred, scooping the tom under him as they fell into the pipes below. Above, the building finally crashed to the ground, rubble spreading everywhere, bricks knocking down all buildings and creatures in their path. A pile descended upon the grate, and blocked out all light from the world above.

_Grrrrr. My head. _Arthur moaned as he struggled to stand. His muscles ached in protest to his actions.

"Ah! Oh, my poor shoulders can't take much more of this abuse…" Arthur rubbed a paw across the sore spot.

"Alfred? Matthew?" he called out nervously. "Are you there? Are you alright? Say something!"

Arthur was worried now.

No answer came for a few tense minutes, until some rubble shifted next to him, and the sound of small paws skittered towards him.

"We're here, Arthur! We're here!" The young cats rushed to their older brother, and Arthur swept them close into a warm embrace.

"Oh, thank stars!" He breathed. "You're okay. You're okay." He repeated this to himself quietly a few times before letting them go. The toms stood around unsure of where to put their paws as Arthur surveyed the area.

He knew they were in the pipe system that ran below the denning place. He had never seen it before himself, but Arthur knew many other stray cats had used them in the past. Apparently, the tunnel systems sprawled out underneath the entire place, from the densest denning area to the most spread out cottage. The pipe they were in now was a dark green color with strange moss and grime covering the sides.

_Looks slippery. _Arthur thought. _Must remember to watch our paw steps. _A shallow, murky river ran through the center of the pipe, sprawling onward into the distance where the path curved out of sight.

"Arthur?" The quiet, spooked voice of Matthew spoke up from behind.

"What is it, Matthew?" He asked in a gentle voice, trying to calm the tom.

"It's blocked." As Arthur followed Matthew's gaze, he saw a huge chunk of brick and stone clogging the entrance they had used to get in. Arthur sighed in disbelief.

_I was only expecting to use this place to hide until the dust had settled…_

Alfred tugged on his fur.

"What do we do now?" the spotted tom inquired.

Arthur gazed into the dim light ahead and took a breath.

"I guess we start walking."

_And so ends a rather intense chapter. Fanfic Factoid: Alfred and Matthew are the youngest in the group, at only one year old. All of the other cats range from 2-5 years, or season cycles, of age; though it's not outright stated for all of them._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Metal Beasts rolled down the many twisting Black Paths on their round paws, the entire vehicle bouncing and jolting as it rolled across errors in the road. Francis gazed intently out of the gate that confined him to his carrying basket. Excitement welled in the curly cat's fur as he watched Metal Beasts and dens alike roll past. As the surroundings closed in and the paths became crowded with Nofurs and Metal Beasts, Francis' anticipation grew.

_Almost there!_ Francis shifted slightly, and felt his back brush against someone else in the cage. Turing his head, Francis spotted Yao, his kithood friend, curled in a ball towards the back, peacefully snoozing in the light rays streaming through the crate holes. Francis tucked his tail closer to his body, trying not to disturb his friend's nap. But he was so excited! They were only taken to Pet Pamper once a week, and this had been a long one indeed. With all the house renovations going on, his naps had been disturbed, the polished floor had sent him skidding into the wall several times, he'd fallen into an open hole in the garden when the female Nofur was trying to plant new flowers, and by the end of the week, his fabulous curls were covered in dirt and stuck out of his pelt willy-nilly. His paws ached and there was all kinds of tension in his shoulders. All he could think about for most of the week were the variety of massages, wraps, soakings, and grooming that he was due for.

Just the thought of getting his claws sharpened and back rubbed caused Francis to shiver with anticipation.

_Why did it have to be so far away?_ The female Nofur could get practically anything, so why not his very own Pet Pamper? Francis fidgeted again, excitement quaking his paws. Yao shifted next to him and picked up his head.

"Francis." His friend scolded humorously. "You're bouncing."

"Ahem. Right, right." Francis sat up and licked his chest fur to calm himself. He was a pure bred. And any cat worth his papers kept calm, cool, and suave; the definition of eloquence. And yet, there was kit like giddiness bubbling just under the surface. This was going to be a great day.

After what felt like eons of just lazily gazing out the Metal Beast's side, the flashy pink Beast pulled up outside of a frilly, fancy looking den with bright colors and large clear sides. Both Francis and Yao were awake and pushing their noses against the mesh that kept them inside. Yao had forgotten his own advice about controlling emotion, and was pawing desperately at the latch.

"Ugh! Come ON, stupid Nofur! We have to get in!" The calico tom growled impatiently as Francis looked upon the den before them with a longing expression.

There was commotion from the other side of the Beast, and then the side in front of them swung open without a sound. Francis wondered again how Metal Beasts could stand to have their sides constantly ripped open without so much as a sound, but such thoughts were soon forgotten as his Nofur picked up the carrying box and started towards the lavish pink door. Francis and Yao squirmed in anticipation as the Nofur stepped into the green interior and approached the desk in front. The carrying box was placed on the top, and both cats strained to get a look at the parlor.

The inside was covered with a variety of plush looking things for sitting and lying down on. A variety of animals, mostly cats and dogs, were seated around the room being pampered. There were poodles getting their fur fluffed and colored, cats getting claws trimmed and glossed, bull dogs relaxing on their stomachs as Nofurs cleaned their jowls, and a variety of other overly wasteful activities to spoil the animals with as they were cleaned.

"Oh, my!" Yao stated with breathless wonder. "What should we do first?" Francis blocked out the rest of Yao's rambling as the calico listed off the many wondrous services they could be provided with. Only one thing was on his mind; the biggest, plushest sitting spot with several desks covered in bottles and tools that sat near the front corner.

_The paw polish station!_ Francis squealed with excitement in his head. The paw polishing was such an extensive and time consuming service, that they had only one cushion in which to do it; and even then, it was reserved only for those who could pay for it, Francis' Nofur being one of them. That polishing was the only thing that would lift the golden tom's spirits, and he would do anything to get it. As he steeled himself with determination, the gate opened, and Yao leapt excitedly out, stretching out his stiff muscles for the first time that day. The Nofurs were talking rapidly to each other in their squeaky voices, Francis' was pointing to several things on the salon's menu.

_I have to act now! _Stalking towards his Nofur, Francis put his years of perfecting charm to work. Mewing softly, he got the Nofur's attention. Next, he walked closer, rubbing and purring against her paw. The Nofur cooed and lifted the appendage to stroke the curly fur down his side. Francis purred louder in pleasure, before backing away, meowing louder than before.

_Come on, pay attention!_ He swept his tail towards the seat, inching his body closer towards the thing as he did so. _Follow the tail… follow the tail…_

But to his dismay, the Nofur exchanged a final word towards the female behind the desk, and walked towards the door.

_NO!_ Francis stood and shrieked. It was a loud yowl that caught the attention of most all the pets in the place, and almost startled the fur off of Yao. Francis leapt off the desk, wound his way between the Nofur's legs, and padded up to the seat. He started purring and rubbing the side of his face against the corner, gazing towards the female with huge, watery eyes. She cooed again, and went back to the desk. She pointed with one red, sharp claw to something else on the list, and the female behind nodded in confirmation.

_Yes!_ With a satisfied purr, Francis leapt up to join Yao again on the desk as the Nofur left the parlor. Yao was still looking at him with wide, unsure eyes.

"What?" Francis said indignantly. Yao chuckled slightly.

"When you want something, you _reeeeeeeeally_ want something." His friend said with a slight tremor in his voice. Francis huffed.

"Why shouldn't I? Any cat worth his papers gets what he wants." His friend chuckled again.

"You keep saying that. 'Any cat worth his papers.'"

"Yeah?"

"You don't even _have _papers." Francis went wide eyed, shifting his gaze in embarrassment.

"I- I have _understood_ papers. My Nofur knows! Besides, papers are the most important thing in the world! Whether you have them with you or not, a pure breed is the best breed." With a huff, Francis turned and walked into the grooming area. Yao rolled his eyes and followed.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…" Francis sighed contently as his paws dipped into the warm water. The mineral mask on his face felt smooth and cool across his fur, and pleasure welled inside his pelt as the Nofur beside him scrapped crud off his claws. It felt so good to be clean.

"Oh, Yao…" He sighed. "I'll never get dirty again as long as I live! I'll stay here forever if I have to! I'm in heaven!"

"Y-y-y-y-y-yeah." Came a staccato reply next to him. Yao was busy with his full body massage, the Nofur already at the stage where he rapidly pats down the cat's back with his hands. The movement jostled Yao, but at the same time fully released all tension in his muscles. This is how to live.

The day continued on the same, with Francis and Yao being groomed, scrapped, soaked, and cleaned as the sun ticked on in the sky. At last, the light faded from view behind the dens, and light pooled from within, flooding the streets as Metal Beasts continued to race by.

_Honestly, don't those ghastly things ever take a rest?_ Francis lazily contemplated as one of the Nofurs picked the cat up and cradled him in his arms. The server was drifting towards the back where the sleeping cubbies were. Each time Yao and Francis came, the lady Nofur dropped them off for the night, preferring to travel the long way there only once a day instead of twice. Not that Francis minded. The cubbies were cushiony and warm, perfect to sleep in and sometimes even better than his own.

He sighed in contentment as he eased into the nest. He heard Yao sigh in similar pleaser from the cubby next to him. Yes, this indeed, was how to live.

The night was damp and cool, but inside was pleasantly warm and comfy as the pets within slept soundly. As silent as a creeping cat, a rustle shifted through the trees. A wave of motion rippling from the outskirts that got bigger and bigger as it ran closer. The huge dens wavered, then jumped. The entire metal structures shooting into the air as the ground rose of its own accord underneath. They buckled and shattered, metal splintering easy as weak wood. Metal Beasts cried in alarm, wires snapped and spreading sparks across the ground. Pavement cracked, sink holes fell in the middle of the street and Nofurs screamed in terror as their world plunged into ruin around them.

A large metal den beside the salon tipped and fell upon the roof, crushing the smaller building beneath its weight. Pets cried and wailed as cages fell from their secure locations, dust and grime clouded the air and blinded sight completely. Francis gasped in shock, a scream caught in his throat. He fell to the ground in a tumble of legs and fur; the only thing visible to him were vague outlines of running figures and falling rubble. Something struck the back of his head, and the last thing his eyes took in were a set of limber legs running towards him before darkness graced his mind.

Francis woke to the sensation of rain upon his nose. His features twitched in response, and the tom groaned as he struggled to open his eyes.

"Wh… what…?" he struggled to speak. Francis heard a gasp next to him; a multy-colored pelt shoved its way into his face.

"Francis!" Yao screamed in relief as his friend rose to a sitting position. The golden tom shook his head, ears ringing loudly due to the force of the crash.

"You're alive!" The calico tom brushed his cheek against the side of Francis' face. Francis grumbled slightly in response, still a bit shaken from… wait, what was it that happened?

Francis looked passed his friend's shoulder at the wreckage around them. The night was still cold and dark; a thin layer of yellow dust waved and danced in the air across the wreckage. Most of the dens had fallen to the ground, the rest leaning over as if they were grieving for their fallen companions. Francis felt shock and terror race through his pelt, Leaving his limbs stricken and unable to move. He stumbled over his words.

"Yao… what… what happened?" The tom stared wide eyed around him. Yao looked equally scared.

"I-I don't know." His friend's voice rose in panic. "There was a growl, and- and shaking, and stuff was falling, animals were running, I managed to squeeze out from between the rocks, and when I saw you on the ground, I… I thought you were dead. I'm so glad you're not." The tom's voice broke with emotion as he buried his mussel in his friend's shoulder again.

"I'm glad I'm alive as well." Francis trailed off. "What now?" Yao looked around unsurely.

"Let's see what's going on in the Paths."

"Yeah… Sounds good." The cats got unsteadily to their paws and clambered over the rocks towards the Black Path.

Francis and Yao padded carefully down the Black Path, stepping over a field of broken elements and materials that stretched on for tail lengths ahead. Fires raged in the distance and dogs barked furiously, no doubt looking for food. Each noise caused the toms to flinch. They had never been left on their own like this before, and danger lurked in every shadow. They walked on the tips of their toes with hackles on end as they tried to get their bearings. Yao sniffed as his eyes watered with sadness.

"I want to go home." The calico moaned.

"And we'll get there," Francis quipped with an edge to his voice. "As soon as we figure out which way goes where."

"How long will that take?" His friend wined. "Do you even know how to get back?"

"Of course!" Francis snapped. Truth was, he had no idea. But Yao was barely holding it together, and adding more uncertainty on top of it would surely cause the tom to go into hysterics.

"We just have to find-" Francis was cut off by the sound of rubble clinking from the top of a ruined den down to the path. It stopped ominously in front of them with a plunk, rolling to their paws.

A shout emanated from the top of the pile, and Francis and Yao leapt back, crouching down with claws out and ears back. Standing confidently at the peak were a group of rouge cats, with disheveled fur that hung off of malnourished frames. Dirt coated their pelts and stained their fangs yellow, their eyes were narrowed into slits, eyeing the toms like fresh kill.

The group stalked down the side of the den, gracing like living shadows towards them. Black claws glinted in the star light, and fangs were visible from their hissing mouths. Evil yellow eyes beamed like small suns in the dark. The rouges hissed in laughter.

"Well, well, well. Lookie here. A couple of house cats roaming our turf." The tom in the lead mocked. The others laughed behind him as they finally came to a stop in front of Francis and Yao. The two were now crouching with their belly fur skimming the ground, both shaking visibly out of fear.

"A-are we on your turf?" Francis asked nervously. "We hadn't noticed. If you'll just step aside we'll be on our w-"

"SHUT UP!" the lead tom snapped his jaws in Francis' face.

Francis yelped as he reared back. From this angle, the golden tom noticed an 'x' shaped scar across the rouge's shoulder. In fact, they all had this similar marking on their bodies in some matter. But Francis' view was blocked as the ragged cat shoved his mussel into his face.

"You fat faces strut around thinking you own the place all the time, waving those tails high in the air, stuffing your faces while the rest of us struggle on the streets like real cats do." The cat stepped closer, forcing Francis to franticly scrape backwards from him. "You have no right to be called cats! No right to have any of our food! No right to even be here!" he stopped, spitting the last words into Francis' face. "Well look now. Nature has spoken, it's uprooted the disease that is these Nofurs, and has chosen us as the rightful prowlers of this territory. The denning place is ours!" he hissed viciously.

Francis' was staring wide-eyed at him, unable to do anything besides crouch and shake. Yao wailed nervously as a few of the other cats circled him, separating the toms from each other.

"Now, we get to teach you a lesson you won't soon _forget!_" The tom raised a paw and lunged, swiping at Francis' face.

Acting on instinct, the golden tom ducked aside, allowing the rouge to sail overhead, landing with a frustrating yowl behind him. Francis leapt forward, pushing through the group of rogues who were momentarily distracted to nose Yao to his paws. The lead rouge howled in rage, ordering the cats after them as the toms raced down the Black Path, fluffed tails streaming out behind them.

Paws pounded down the street, Francis and Yao panted for breath, the rouges were behind them and gaining fast. Francis and Yao had never had to run like this before in their lives, their soft pads ached and bled against the hard surface and their muscles screamed in pain as they forced themselves to keep stretching their legs before them. Fear was their fuel, safety the destination as Francis scanned the road side for escape routes.

The lead rouge kept caterwauling behind them, urging his cats onward as rage boiled in his belly at being humiliated by a house pet. The cats kept up a steady hunting pace, the gap closing until the fleeing cat's tails were at their paws. One of the cats in the lead, a rather large tom, chuckled as he swiped a paw at Yao's swishing tail. The tom ahead yelped and tried to gain speed, but he was just too tired. The cats were still laughing, continuing to lash and snap at their tails.

_They're playing with us._ Francis growled to himself. They were no more than toys to these alley cats, puny mice they were content to toss back and forth before finally having the decency to end. Yao looked on the verge of crying, gazing desperately at Francis.

_No! We will not be their prey!_ Francis turned with a snap, barreling into Yao, who let out a shriek, and changed directions, galloping right towards a wooden fence that was still surprisingly intact. Racing ahead of his friend, Francis kept going head long, urging Yao not to flinch and dash to the side. Stealing his nerve, Yao followed Francis as they used a plush bag of rubbish for leverage to launch over the fence and land safely on the other side.

Yao and Francis panted heavily as they listened to the yowls of the outraged cats outside. Despite being tough fighters, none were up to try and pull the same seemingly bone headed move they did. Francis had taken a huge leap of faith with that bag, but what had he left to loose. If he didn't try, the only other option awaited in their violently sharp claws.

Francis exchanged a look with Yao, and both cats found themselves mewing with laughter in spite of the situation. Their entire bodies shuddered with relief as the finally got the chance to settle. Suddenly, the paw steps started again, running farther down the road in the direction they had been heading before.

_Are they running away?_ Francis looked down the narrow alley they were sitting in, and his eyes widened in despair. The path ran down continuously behind the fallen dens, and at the end, an opening leading to the street on the other side.

_Oh, no._

"Yao!" Francis shrieked, startling his friend. "We have to go! There's a way in!"

Yao fluffed in fear again, and the toms turned and ran down the alley in the opposite direction.

The toms were breathing heavily from within their tight hiding space. Francis and Yao had found an almost invisible cleft between the fences that bordered the path and a few metal rubbish bins. The pressed closer to each other for comfort as they listed to the commotion outside. Shadows raced past as the rouges looked for the house pets that got away. The leader yowled in frustration at his cats' incompetence. Eventually, they got tired and padded away, trailing back to the street most likely to look for other cats to scare.

Francis and Yao sighed in relief as they crawled from their hiding spot. The cats collapsed to the ground, terror finally flooding out of their paws and seeped into the ground. Francis had never felt so glad to feel his heart still beating in his fur in his life.

"I am never taking our Nofur den for granted AGAIN!"

"Here… here." Yao breathed tiredly. "So. How are we going to get home?"

Francis looked around. Just to the right, another alley lined with wood fences stretched off into the distance. The scent of trees and grass met the curly tom's nose. Could that be the way outside?

_Good enough for now._ Francis groaned as he stood.

"Come, Yao." He beckoned with his tail. "Lady Nofur must be missing us something fierce by now." He tried to sound hopeful, but some flat tone entered his voice as he spoke. Yao shook his head in understanding, and they began their treck down the strait path, tails dragging the ground.

_Fanfic factoid: Male calicos are extremely rare and valuable, which makes Yao an obvious choice to be owned by a rich lady. Francis just seemed too fabulous to have grown up on the street or anyone else's home. Speaking of breeds, I believe I described Alfred and Matthew to be ragamuffins. Don't know what they look like? Look it up. Very cute. Next chapter, we come full circle again._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Fuzzy sound roared against his ears as Feliciano slowly shifted into awareness. As his bleary vision came into focus, he rolled to his back and gazed at the sky above. The dark of night was giving way to the red and purple of dawn. Flames burning from his neighbor's den continued to strike angrily at the stars above, trying to sink its searing fangs into their shining forms. Feliciano moaned and rolled over again, pushing himself upright in the grass by the Black Path. When the brown tom at last got a good look at his home, he was horrified.

Little was left standing, most of the dens' parts were scattered throughout, fences leaned and sagged in disarray and loud wailing echoed through the streets as Nofurs and animals alike howled in terror and desire to find separated family members. Feliciano mewled and curled in closer to his body. He could no longer bare to look at this horrific scene, choosing to focus on what was immediately around him.

To Feliciano's right, the mysterious cat from next door they had rescued was lying stretched out on his stomach, at last allowing Feliciano to get a view of what he looked like. The tom was entirely black with sharply pointed ears. His limbs were long and gangly, his body made lanky and slim. The cat's paws, face, and stomach were splashed with gagged spots of white. The most unusual feature was probably the cat's stubby white tail.

_He almost looks part rabbit!_ Feliciano thought to himself. Suddenly, he heard a groaning sound coming from behind, and the cat whipped his head around to see his other friend struggling to his paws.

"Ludwig!" Feliciano gasped with fear as he rushed to the blonde tabby's side. Feliciano ducked and allowed the weakened tom to lean on his shoulder.

"Feliciano." Ludwig coughed a bit before continuing, trying to rid his lungs of poisoned air. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a few scrapes." He reassured. "But you're clearly not! What happened?"

"I was asleep on the second floor, when the ground just, fell out from under us-" he was cut off by a stream of coughing. Feliciano gazed worriedly at his wheezing friend. Remembering something his female Nofur did when her mate was sick, he lifted a paw and rubbed it on the tabby's back.

"Just keep coughing, get all the dust out. Here, sit and lean on this." Feliciano guided Ludwig over to the fence, allowing him to rest on the boards as he finished emptying his lungs. Feliciano turned again to the unconscious black cat.

Now, he was beginning to stir, a quiet sigh emanating from the strange tom as his eyes blinked open, which Feliciano could see were a bright green. The concerned tom leaned forward as the black cat shifted into a crouch, head down and shaking as if to clear it of something.

"Are you okay?" he tentatively asked. The cat flinched and yelped into full awareness, now noticing he was surrounded by unfamiliar cats.

"Hey! No need to be nervous!" Feliciano reassured. "We're the ones that saved you from the fire."

The tom tilted his head into confusion, smoke clouding his thoughts, until he gave another shake and the past events came back to him. His eyes drifted back to the pair before him, a small brown tom and the sputtering blonde tabby behind him.

"O-oh, yes." He stuttered nervously. Conversations were always hard. "T-thank you for that. I would have died had you not been so gracious as to help. How can I ever repay you?" The cat bowed so low that his nose brushed the grass, and Feliciano felt flustered at the sudden formality.

"No, no! There's no need for that. We would have done it for anyone!"

"Well, I still owe you my life, and it is within my family's tradition to never leave a debt unpaid. There must be something."

"Well, I guess you could start by telling us who you are." Feliciano's whiskers quivered with nervousness, and Ludwig's ears perked up in interest. The cat took a moment to clear his throat before bowing gracefully to the ground again, stretching a forepaw out towards Feliciano.

"I am Kiku, loyal bobtail cat of respected dynasty and lineage at your service."

"Yes, well." Feliciano glanced around nervously, unsure of how to react again. "I'm Feliciano, and this is Ludwig. We're your neighbors!"

"Yes, I know." The cat replied blandly.

"Ah, well-" Feliciano was stopped as Kiku got up and began to walk off.

"I thank you again for saving me, but I must return to my- Nofurs." Kiku quieted as he saw his former home. The entire thing was consumed in fire now, flames licking across all the wooden parts of the den, though it had still yet to catch the grass. The blaze was so dense around the center that only orange could be seen.

Kiku fell to the ground in shock, tail going limp and ears flattening against his head.

"Th… they're gone." He was distraught. The Nofurs that he had been with since kithood, had traveled so far to this new home with, who he swore on his family legacy to protect, gone.

Feliciano's attention turned with a snap towards his own den, and he shrieked as he ran towards the pile of fallen scraps in the midst of his yard. The brown tom bounded over the broken fence and into the center of the mess, digging around in the dust and grime while yowling for his Nofurs to speak up. Ludwig, still out by the fence, struggled upward and stepped carefully into the yard.

The tabby watched his friend's frantic search, sadness leaving a rock in the pit of his stomach. His mind drifted to his own Nofur, crushed under a rock in his nest. Feliciano shouldn't have to see what he did again, and he hobbled closer, about to call out his name, before a metallic scent caught his nose. His gaze shifted to the ground, and his eyes widened.

Feliciano was shifting a particularly large piece of wood, before he stopped. There was a circle of blood staining the floor below, the edges splatting out as if something had been hit in this spot, but a section was smeared, like something had dragged itself through the bloody ring.

"Feliciano!" Ludwig's stern voice called from behind.

Turning around, the tom's eyes caught a scene he had missed in his desperate attempt to claw through the rubble. A trial of bright red blood was smudged across the grass leading towards the Black Path, where it stopped at the curb and disappeared. Feliciano dumbly followed it out, and sat at the edge, gazing out at the path, following it with his eyes to where it turned out of sight. As Ludwig limped over, he saw Kiku walking towards Feliciano was well, gaze numb and full of sadness. Soon all three were looking dully out towards the denning place, focused more on their thoughts than the world around them. Kiku sighed.

"Where do I go now?" the question was directed at no one, but Ludwig felt a sting of empathy towards the new cat.

"Yes." He muttered. "All three of us are without home, without Nofurs… what other option is left?" a dead silence hung in the burning air. Feliciano bolted upright from his hunched position.

"No!" Ludwig and Kiku looked towards him in surprise.

"What do you mean 'no,' Feliciano?" his tabby friend questioned.

"My Nofurs aren't dead!"

"Oh, Feli…" Ludwig sighed in depression.

"No, I mean it! He turned to Ludwig, hope shining in his eyes. "The trail of blood must have come from them, and it went to the Black Path." The brown tom hopped along the gruesome red trail again. "Where it disappears, they must have left in a Metal Beast! They have to be somewhere in the denning place, just waiting to take me home!" Feliciano gazed in longing out in the distance. Ludwig shook his head.

"Feliciano," he would have to break the young cat's delusions. "The Nofurs are-"

"No, wait! He's right." To both of their surprise, Kiku spoke up.

"Back at my last home, my female Nofur took a very bad fall and got herself injured." Ludwig looked confused.

"Where is this going?"

"Just stay with me. The wound was so bad, that the male called in a special Metal Beast. It had a white pelt, with a red cross on its side, and these big flashing eyes on top of its head."

The cats stared at him like he had grown a second head.

"And they made this high pitched, whining sound. It sounds… just like that!"

Kiku stood and angled an ear towards a high _wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee_ emanating a few paths down. Feliciano perked up and leapt to his paws.

"So if my Nofurs were injured, a white Metal Beast must have taken them!" the cat was jumping with pure joy.

"Where do they go?" Ludwig questioned.

"I think they all go to the Nofur healer." Feliciano was a few steps ahead, already trotting down the path side.

"So we follow the whines, we get to the Nofurs! Then we can meet up with them, and they'll take care of everything after that!" Feliciano was much more cheery now. But Ludwig still had his doubts.

_That's great for you, Feliciano, but what about us?_

Ludwig felt something brush against his ankle. Looking down, he saw a strange, white thing that flapped in the wind like a torn bird's wing. Curious, he flattened it to the ground with a paw and smoothed it out on the grass. To his shock, the page contained many black scratches etched into it with that strange smelling black liquid. But they weren't random marks, they were definitely arranged in a specific patter, like the things his Nofur used to make. Could this be one of his pages?

Happy thoughts flooded to the tabby; a warm desk, the scratch of a pointed stick on paper, swatting at the moving object, being scolded by his Nofur, only to receive a small rub behind the ears to show no hard feelings. Then interrupted by flashes of darkness, dust, and blood; a figure crushed in a nest. Depression almost swept him to the ground. That life was gone now. What was the point of looking?

Then, Feliciano called. Ludwig looked up to see his longtime friend and Kiku already halfway down the street. Other thoughts swarmed to his mind; a small kit struggling over the fence, inviting him to share in the feather toy he was eyeing intently, other cats across the way teasing his size, only to be shoved away by the bigger tabby. Feliciano, the fragile yet energetic cat who was always by his side. There was no way that he would survive out in the feral world on his own, and if any cat deserved a happy ending in this sea of tragedy, it was him. And it was Ludwig's responsibility to get him there. With new found strength, he folded the paper, taking it in his mouth as he ran to catch up with Feliciano, the new purpose in his life.

The day was in full swing by the time the trio had traveled more than a few paths into the denning place. Though most of the dens were still in pieces, Ludwig could tell from the closeness of the ruined piles that they had reached the more scrunched part; where so many Nofurs wanted to live they pressed their dens right up against one another. Kiku and Ludwig were eyeing the streets carefully, watching all possible hiding spots for danger to leap out at any moment. Ludwig had seen the world outside his fence, it was wild, solitary, and ruthless. He had never wanted to step beyond his boundary, but now that he was forced to, he was not going to let it catch him off guard. Feliciano was not so worried.

He gazed wide-eyed in wonderment about him. This place looked so different! And smelled different to! He closed his eyes for a moment, sniffing and sniffing as he bounded forward from between the two anxious felines. Ludwig was the first to notice his absent minded wandering.

"Feliciano!" he yelled, startling the care free cat. "Get back here before you get smushed!" The tom was getting dangerously close to the Black Path that ran beside him. Though deserted, Metal Beasts could appear practically out of nowhere and take a cat out before you can blink.

"Oh, sorry!" the tom pranced back to his last spot between his two friends.

The monotonous walking continued, the only sound the rhythmic beating of paws on gravel and tails swishing in the air. Or, almost all of them. Feliciano looked back and saw his and Ludwig's tails waving high in the wind; but a third was missing. Kiku's tail stump merely twitched as he walked, as if the tail wanted, and was trying to wave proud and high like the others, but just couldn't.

_Aww, poor tail!_ Feliciano thought. What was with that tail, anyway? It was short, and fluffy, and just un-tail like in all respects. The curiosity itched at his fur until he couldn't hold it in.

"Hey Kiku!" he asked.

"Hm?"

"What happened to your tail?" Ludwig almost gagged on his paper at the bluntness of his friend's question.

_You stupid idiot!_ He scolded internally. _Now you're going to offend him, and we'll lose a valuable ally! _But to his surprise, Kiku took it well.

"Oh, this? I was born with it." Ludwig twitched in surprise, and Feliciano gasped.

"What? Really? I thought it got torn off! Tails can really be that short?"

"Why yes." The black cat fluffed his fur a bit. "Actually, it's a symbol of my heritage."

"Heritage?" Feliciano questioned.

"Yes. All the cats in my family, from my father, to my father's father, and his father before that, all the way back to the noble cats of the wild, have had short tails. It is the sign of the warrior blood that runs through our veins." Kiku's chest was puffed out in pride. But then, the cat deflated, his ears drooped and paws dragged as he slowed his pace.

"Though, now I guess I don't have the right to call myself that."

Ludwig was confused. What was he talking about? Feliciano slowed to walk beside Kiku, demonstrating that everlasting kindness for all cats in pain that Ludwig knew him so well for.

"Every cat in each family litter is to be given to a new family, and are sworn to protect them with tooth and claw to our very last breath. And I failed to do that."

"Hey," Feliciano spoke calmly. "Don't think like that. No one could have stopped an earth growl, or put out a fire-"

"But I should have tried." Kiku interrupted. "They were my responsibility, and impossible though it may seem, I should have tried, and died trying." That's when Ludwig stopped.

The tabby turned and stood towering over Kiku, and the cat gulped slightly at the outraged look on his face.

"That's enough." He spoke sternly and with finality. "I hate it when cats think that. You should never be ashamed of picking life over death in combat because what good is your so called 'honor' if you're dead?" Kiku flinched at the last part and averted his gaze.

Feliciano pressed closer to the black cat, wrapping a tail around his back. Though he hated when Ludwig got riled up like this, such words were needed sometimes; he was the voice of comfort, Ludwig the voice of harsh reality. Now that he thought about it, the two made a very good team.

"If your Nofurs really loved you, they would be glad that you at least got out safely. Now don't waste this life you've been lucky enough to keep. Pick up your paws and keep moving!" Ludwig put all the truth and belief that he had into these words. He had figured this out a few hours before himself, during the revelation with his paper. His eyes drifted to Feliciano for a moment; the cat who was like his own brother. There's always a reason to keep going.

Kiku was looking intently at the ground, and sighed. Then he stood, meeting Ludwig's steady gaze with his own green eyes.

"Thank you." His face was stone, his voice monotone, but Feliciano knew he meant it. A smile stretched across his face again, and the tom bounded up to walk beside Kiku once more.

Ludwig padded behind, a rush going through his body after the confrontation. His heart bounded against his chest like he had just run from one side of the denning place to the other.

_Did _I _pull a cat from the brink? The brink I had been so close to falling into myself?_ The tabby smiled to himself, watching Feliciano gab on to Kiku, no doubt trying to distract him from those past ruinous thoughts. Though it was such a small exchange, the group felt closer than they had before.

Kiku and Feliciano dropped to the grass covered ground in a huff of exhaustion. They panted heavily as the world cooled off while night covered the area. Ludwig settled down to his stomach, looking around at the trees that surrounded him. The group had walked aimlessly through the denning area, following small glimpses of white Metal Beasts through the streets, before they had stumbled across this one section that was left wild, untouched by Nofur dens and tools. By then it was getting late, Feliciano was whining, Kiku was not complaining but looked tired, and Ludwig's paws ached like crazy.

Giving in, he led them through the trees until they found an open clearing with soft, spongey grass, perfect for resting in tonight.

A growl echoed through the open space, and Ludwig bristled nervously, preparing for an attack, until Feliciano spoke up from the ground.

"Ehheheh… That was me. My stomach's talking." It growled again. "It says 'moooooooooooouse.' Hahaha!" Feliciano chuckled at the last part, and Ludwig's fur flattened in relief.

"I guess we should go hunting then." Feliciano started whining.

"But I'm too tired to hunt! I don't even know how!" Ludwig rolled his eyes and started trying to nose his friend to his paws.

"Come on, lazy bones! It's just like catching that toy in the yard." But he just held his ground and whined in protest.

"Alright!" Ludwig shouted in defeat. "We'll hunt, but you have to do something!"

Feliciano jumped to his paws.

"I know! I'll make up a place for us to sleep!" and he dashed off to look for possible bedding.

"Well, he can sure pick and choose when to get up." Kiku spoke from where he sat behind Ludwig.

"Yeah." The tabby sighed in exasperation. "I'll never understand him." Ludwig turned to Kiku.

"Can you hunt?"

"A little." The cat stuttered, nervous in the spot light.

"That's good enough. Let's go."

"Wait, do you even know what you're doing?" Kiku ask as he ran after the blonde.

"How hard can it be?"

The answer? Very hard.

Ludwig and Kiku scoured the forest, and though there were plenty of mice and birds, catching them was an entirely different story. They prowled more like clumsy badgers then graceful hunters; snapping twigs beneath their paws, stirring leaves with their tails, misjudging their leaps and landing with mouthfuls of dirt rather than juicy meat. It was a lot harder than Ludwig had heard it described. Why couldn't they just stay still like the fake mice in his yard? The answer was obvious and rather silly, but Ludwig still found himself wishing for a few frozen mice to leap into his paws.

Kiku was nowhere near skilled himself, but he had better luck than Ludwig. He had managed to corner and kill a rather fat looking rabbit that dragged the ground as he carried it along. The most Ludwig had gotten was a thin looking sparrow. His fur was hot with shame as the two padded back to Feliciano. What kind of protector couldn't provide for the one he was protecting? There was nowhere near enough meat on this sparrow for the two to share. Ludwig stopped and put down his bird before looking to Kiku.

"Hey, Kiku?"

"Hm?" the black cat mumbled around his rabbit.

"This might sound strange, but, do you think you could… share that with Feliciano?" the tabby scrapped at the ground with a paw, embarrassed that he had asked in the first place. Kiku's eyes glinted with an understanding humor as he set the prey down.

"I would be glad to, Ludwig." The tabby sighed in relief, and the two kept walking.

Eventually, they crested a hill in the landscape and Kiku stopped once more, eyes trained on the sky. Ludwig looked up in confusion, trying to find what he was staring at. The stars were dense and bright tonight. Away from the Nofur lights, they shined more numerable and with more passion than he had ever seen it before, and Ludwig let out a gasp as kit like wonder sparked emotion in his gut. A band of clustered stars weaved across the sky like a river, shifting in curving bends above their head. Kiku had dropped the rabbit to the ground, and bent his head so the black cat's pink nose was touching his forepaws. The tom appeared to be muttering something under his breath. Ludwig was very confused, and shifted a bit closer to the cat before speaking up.

"Um, Kiku?" He interrupted. "What are you doing?" The cat took a break from his stream of words and looked up at Ludwig.

"I'm praying." He stated like it was obvious.

"Praying to who?" He questioned.

"The star cats of course." Ludwig looked even more confused now. Kiku widened at him in surprise.

"You don't know of the star cats?"

"Can't say I do."

"Wow." Kiku was genuinely shocked.

"I thought all kits learned of the star cats back in their mother's nest. Well, sit down and I'll tell you." The cats settled close on the hill, placing the prey between them so that no scavengers would think of getting too close.

"It has been said, passed from cat to cat through generations, that when cats who have led noble and honest lives die, their spirits leave their earthly bodies and go to run in the stars, alongside the powerful ancestors who came before us." Ludwig looked back towards the sky.

Cats in the stars? Sounded a bit like jay-jabber to him. Now, Kiku had turned back to his paws in the same position as before. Ludwig couldn't help but interrupt again. Perhaps Feliciano was rubbing off on him.

"What are you praying about?" Kiku stopped and looked up again.

"I'm… I'm praying for my Nofurs."

"Your Nofurs?"

"Yes. I figure if cat souls go to the stars, then Nofur souls must go somewhere too, and maybe the star cats can look after them." Kiku turned to Ludwig with guilt in his eyes.

"I know what you said earlier, but I still feel really sad and guilty." He looked away again, voice becoming quiet. "There was something I never told Feliciano, because it was too painful to dwell on then… The female Nofur… was a few moons from kitting."

Ludwig reared back in shock.

"I swore when I found out that I would work twice as hard to save them, but now, I not only let two souls die, but three. One that didn't even get the chance to start." The black tom was choking with emotion by the end.

No wonder he was so torn up about it. Adults dying was sad, but kits? Nofur or not, that was even worse. His pride had taken a larger hit than Ludwig expected, but his point from last time still rung true. He leaned closer to his new friend, and talked in a gentler tone.

"It's still not your fault. The world is an unfortunate place, with so many unknowns that no one can really prepare for the future. Not even the bravest, wildest cat in the forest." Kiku was still sobbing. "And besides, if that whole 'souls in the stars' thing is true, I bet they're watching you right now. All three. Wishing you luck, and hoping you find a better home." Though Ludwig was not a firm believer in his friend's statement, it was what he believed, so maybe that's what he needed to heal.

After a few sniffles, Kiku got up again, looking a bit better than before.

"Yeah… I bet you're right. The blessing of the stars got me here, and it'll get me through tomorrow, too." He turned back to Ludwig. "Come, I bet Feliciano is even hungrier now."

The cat bounded off into the forest. Ludwig sighed happily at Kiku's turn around, and got up to leave. Just out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a flash of light from above, and a peculiar wind tickling his hear fur with the distinct tone and inflections of a whispering voice. But as he turned, he saw nothing and heard nothing aside from the still trees and grassy hill around him. The tom shrugged and walked off. Cats in the stars… ridiculous!

When they got back to the clearing, Feliciano was curled in the center, snoozing away. At the sound of paw steps crunching through the wild grass, the brown cat's head popped up, and he bounced towards where his friends were approaching.

"Hey, guys!" he mewed cheerfully. "You were gone for a while! I had more than enough time to gather moss for three big nests; oh, and you'll never guess! I sniffed out this great hallow tree that's big enough for all of us to fit and- Whoa! That rabbit is HUGE!" he picked up his pace and skidded to a halt in front of Kiku.

"Did you catch this yourself?" he asked admirably.

"Well, yes." Kiku's pelt grew hot with embarrassment.

"That's amazing, Kiku!" The two wandered farther into the clearing, allowing Ludwig to silently creep around to the opposite side. The tabby had no desire for Feliciano to see his meager catch. Compared with Kiku's rabbit, it was more of a twig than-

"Ludwig!" The tabby gulped, preparing for his friend's shock and horror. Feliciano bounded up to where his friend sat hunched in the corner, trying to hide something from his view. The brown tom pushed his paw aside and gasped.

"Did you catch this?"

"W-well… You see I…" he sighed. "Yeah…"

"Wow, Ludwig! That's amazing!" His ears twitched.

"Really?"

"Yeah! I mean, with how quickly those things can jump up and fly away, I'm surprised you managed to catch one!" The cat was bent over the prey, studying it closely. Disbelief sparked in Ludwig's mind.

"You honestly think so?"

"Yeah," he replied without a trace of sarcasm or doubt. "And I bet this tastes great!" He leaned over to snatch up the bird, but Ludwig interrupted.

"Oh! No, sorry Feliciano." He swiped the sparrow out of reach. "That's for me. You're sharing the rabbit with Kiku."

"What? But I was looking forward to taste what you caught!"

Ludwig was at a loss of what to do. He was glad Feliciano was so impressed by his lackluster offering, but there was nowhere near enough to feed even one cat; but Kiku had enough for two. And he was not letting his best friend go to bed hungry. He'd have to think of something to deflect his interest without wounding the other tom's pride by making him believe Ludwig thought he could not care for himself.

"Yes, well… So was I!" Feliciano looked confused.

"See, this is my first catch, and I was looking forward to tasting my efforts as well."

"You don't want to share?"

_Sorry, Feliciano._ Ludwig thought.

"That's right. I'm in no mood to share tonight." Ludwig quickly snatched the bird in his mouth to emphasize his point.

"Aww, Ludwig!" Feliciano chided. "Someday, I'll have to teach you how to share!" With a good humored huff, he walked back to Kiku and settled beside him to eat.

Ludwig padded over and sat close by, ripping off mouthfuls of bird meat. It was surprisingly good. He had heard rogues and strays rave on and on about the taste of real flesh, but he had not expected it to be so tasty. It was flavorful and juicy, a bit stringy but that might have just been the fact that it was a bird, and was gone far too quickly for Ludwig's liking. Once he had licked each bone clean, he settled on his paws and watched the other two finish up. His stomach growled in protest to not being allowed to partake in the rabbit, but Ludwig's pride was unwavering. He caught the smallest bit, so that's what he deserved.

_I'll try better tomorrow._

It wasn't long before Feliciano and Kiku flopped to the ground on either side of him as full darkness settled on the park. Though Ludwig guessed it was very late in the day by now, he was in no hurry to go to sleep. The thoughts of both today and yesterday at last had their opening to lay heavily on his mind, and now his thoughts raced in circles with no signs of slowing. The silence pressed in on him as he felt the true fruitlessness of their situation take hold. And though no cat spoke a word, Ludwig could tell the other two felt the same, all anxious and wide awake as the past horrifying events came to a close. None of this felt real anymore; where they walking through a dream? No more than a fake reality? If their past lives had really died within their dens, how where they here now? And how was the rest of the earth for that matter? It was all too much. Ludwig felt water brim to the ducts of his eyes as emotions ruled all thinking.

Then, he heard a whisper. A voice, soft and light through the breeze. It danced and shifted to the form of a melodious tone. The cat to his right was the source. Feliciano was singing. The tom was sitting upright, head tilted back towards the sky where tree tops could be seen outlined by the light of the stars. His voice wafted over Ludwig's ears. It was the same song he always sung, that melody that drifted across the yard and over the fence so often, it was like the only piece of home they really brought with them. Ludwig could remember the lyrics by heart. He felt a hum building in his chest, eventually bubbling into a voice as he joined the cat in song, his lower voice adding a nice contrast to Feliciano's high tones.

_The daaaaaaaaay has set,_

_The night feeeeeeeeeeeeels so long,_

_My heeeart lies hea-vy,_

_Dropped downnnn to my paws,_

The toms continued in this manor, the song drifting and filling all corners of the clearing. The words started slow and sad, but as they continued, they became brighter, full of hope, like the sun rising again after a day of rain. To both their amazement, a third joined in their choir. Kiku was singing as well, rolled on his back, eyes closed to their shocked faces, he picked up the tune, continuing on with all the right words and inflections.

_But it's not- too- bad,_

_Cus' I can smell- it~ on the breeze,_

_This happiness I lost,_

_Oh, darling, it's running back to me!_

Their voices got louder, joined in raised volume by one another, and the cats got up to prance and dance in a circle around the clearing, all sense and hesitation swept away in the joyous throws of song and company. They danced and danced as the song's beat intensified, reaching the climatic lyrics.

_Yes, hope is here!_

_My hope is great!_

_So much is gone,_

_But I won't wait!_

_For days may pass,_

_Sea-sons may change,_

_But I will al-ways,_

_Brave this winter!_

_Yes with a song in my heart,_

_And light at the end,_

_With the stars as my whitn-e-e-e-eeeeeees, *_a pause*

_Oh I will dance agaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain!_

As the last words left their lips, the cats collapsed on the ground in a fit of laughter, staring at each other wide-eyed as if they could not believe what had just happened. As if they had all been on the same wave length in those few moments, Feliciano's joy had spread to them all like wildfire, and now their pelts itched with it, and their eyes lit with a glow neither had in years. At the same time, the excitement left like a broken dam, and all three felt heavy eyed and pawed. Feliciano yawned.

"Well," he turned to them with his familiar bright eyes. "Let's head to the nests." All three filed into the hallowed space within the sturdy trunk, anxious to sleep.

Ludwig settled down first, and Feliciano curled up next to the blonde tabby, back snuggled safely into his side. Kiku however, still unsure of his place in the group, settled down in a clump of moss farther away from them. Ludwig gave him a curious look.

"You know, we don't bite." Kiku gave him a look that showed he did not understand. Ludwig rolled his eyes at the cat's ignorance of sayings.

"You can come sleep over here. It's cold outside, and you're sure to get frozen paws on your own." Feliciano picked up his head from where he slept beside Ludwig and gazed at Kiku with bleary eyes.

"Yeah," he muttered sleepily. "We don't need a friend catching a cold. Besides," He yawned again. "It always feels good to sleep by friends. Always… nice and safe…" The brown cat trailed off as he drifted into sleep, his quiet snores filling the small tree cleft.

Kiku smiled in spite of himself, surprisingly relieved and glad to be accepted. He got up from his lonely place by the wayside, and settled around to the other side of Feliciano. He looked towards the other two.

"Hey, what happened outside…" he began, capturing their attention. "You knew that song?"

"Yeah!" Feliciano marked cheerfully. "I forget where I first heard it, but the knowledge of it has been with me since I was a kit. I used to sing it when I was sad, when I was happy… Come to think of it, I just sang it all the time!"

"And I've lived next to him most of my life. Thanks to him, I know it by heart myself." Kiku nodded in understanding.

"I first learned it from my female Nofur, actually. My mama knew the song, and told me what the words where. I was captivated by its tone and sound. It's such a good song. All about how to move on from such tragedy… I never thought I would be able to relate, until now."

Feliciano made a noise of agreement.

"Hey, what luck, do you think it is, that three cats who knew the same song all came together to help each other like this?" It was quite a remarkable stroke of luck.

"Maybe it's not just coincidence." Kiku murmured. "Maybe it's fate." The other two cats turned back to him. "Perhaps the star cats have willed this." Kiku closed his eyes and gazed towards the sky again. Feliciano followed him in wonder, though the stars could not be seen from within the wood shelter.

Ludwig felt a bit uncomfortable again. The conversation had come back to those weird cats in the sky, and he had no idea how to feel. Feliciano seemed intrigued; though with his kit like excitement, star cats was hardly a stretch. Ludwig, however, could not believe in such a thing. If they did exist, and could do as Kiku claimed, why where they just sitting there above them? Why were they not helping?! But, Ludwig forced the outrage to leave him. If Kiku choose to believe such a kittale, he would say nothing to try to change his mind.

The black tom rested his head on his forepaws before closing his eyes and falling asleep. Ludwig gazed fondly at the two younger cats beside him. With all three pressed close together, small sounds filling the space, it almost felt… homely. And they like a family. It brought warmth to his heart, and really made him believe that everything was going to work out.

Then, lighting flashed outside, thunder crashing overhead as rain came down in a torrent. The heavy drops flattened leaves, grass, and soaked the entire outside world in a matter of seconds. Ludwig flattened to the floor, startled by the sudden noise.

_That… that doesn't count as a bad omen, does it?_ Ludwig felt his fur rise in uncertainty.

_No… of course not. Sometimes rain is just rain. Right?_ Ludwig shrugged it off and tucked his head into his side. Sleep now. Tomorrow later.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Lovino panted heavily as he forced his paws to continue moving across the soft forest ground. Night had descended making it hard to see the trees around them. Lovino squinted ahead, trying to discern trunk for background, and swerving sharply when he cut it too close. Gilbert had been keeping this speedy pace up all day, barely slowing or showing signs of losing energy. Lovino, on the other hand, was at the end of his rope. Tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, the tom struggled to follow the cat in front of him, his white fur and silver stripes gleaming in the star light.

The cats were flying across the densely packed earth, paws barley skimming the surface, leaving trails of spinning leaves in their wake. Lovino had long lost track of where they were headed, trusting the silver tabby in front of him to be his guide; and he hated it. Being dependent on some other cat was hard for him, and always wounded his pride. But at this point he was too tired to care, and begged silently in his head for Gilbert to stop at some point. Giving in to his crying pads, Lovino skidded to a stop and allowed himself to drop to the ground.

Gilbert heard the light _thump _behind him and slowed to a halt a few paw strides ahead. Lovino was lying on his side, panting heavily in the dark. The poor tom was exhausted, but this was sadly lost on Gilbert as he padded up to his traveling buddy.

"Hey, dude! What's wrong?"

"What's… wrong?" Lovino panted, turning to glare at the cat in front of him. "What's wrong?! I'll tell you what's wrong! That deadly pace you've been setting for the past sun cycle's what's wrong!" he took a break to catch his breath once more. "What kind of unearthly being can run that fast for that long?!"

"Hahaha!" Gilbert chuckled in that boisterous voice. "With the awesome life style that I've been living, I've been running most of my life!"

"With that attitude I wouldn't be surprised if most of it was from being run out of town." Lovino muttered angrily under his breath. Gilbert glared at the comment, but shrugged it off a few moments later.

"So, you're tired. Alright. We'll rest for a bit." And the tabby sat down next to him to wait.

It couldn't have been more than a few moments, Lovino's muscles still ached in pain and he was short of breath, but to Gilbert it felt more like a few days. The tom was twitching and fidgeting with anticipation, paws whining to run through the forest once again. Eventually, Gilbert had to stand and pace to try to keep himself calm. Lovino looked up from where he had been grooming himself, watching Gilbert with an annoyed look. Why couldn't that cat keep still? Gilbert sat back next to Lovino, wanting to distract himself with some talk.

"Hey, Lovino." He poked the cat in the shoulder with a paw, and Lovino had to force himself not to jump on the tabby and claw his ears off. "Wanna see something cool?" The tabby stood and held a forepaw out towards Lovino.

The tom had no idea what he was doing. Gilbert rolled his eyes again.

"You're supposed to his my paw with one of your paws!"

"_Why_?"

"I saw these two Nofurs do this once. I thought it was a much awesomer greeting than touching noses or bowing." Gilbert listed the two customary actions with obvious annoyance and disgust. Lovino still looked at him like he was crazy.

"Just try it!" Gilbert said frustrated.

Lovino sighed and stood, deciding to throw him a bone for once, and raised a paw above Gilbert's.

"Uh… how does this work?"

"Just bring it down on top of mine. Like a slap. No claws, though. Don't need you scratching up my awesome pads."

Lovino rolled his eyes for what must have been the tenth time that day, and brought his paw speeding towards Gilbert; only to have the tabby yank his away at the last second. Lovino's paw struck the ground with a mighty _whump_, and the tom cried out in pain as Gilbert busted into hysterical laughter. Lovino growled and crouched in front of the silver tom, muscles bunching as he prepared to spring.

"Uh, oh." Gilbert turned and ran as Lovino lunged at him.

Like a flash of silvery water, Gilbert bounded up and over the crest of a hill in the forest and Lovino gave chase. The tabby continued to laugh and giggle in glee as he fled over hills and valleys, past trees and hallows, and Lovino felt something peculiar bubbling in his stomach. He was enjoying this. Running over the ever passing landscape had earlier seemed like more of a punishment, but now he was really seeing the forest; the silver outlines of shapes in the dark, the deep clinging scents of passing creatures and aging plants, all of it spoke to the wild contained deep within.

The wind flowed through his fur and lifted his spirits, and he spotted Gilbert's tail flickering and waving just out of reach. The scenery was replaced within Lovino's mind, and suddenly he was running though a fall colored park on the midst of a shining day, chasing a smaller brown tail fleeing in front of him. The face of a kit turned back to face him, its brown furred features covered by a white spot on its mussel.

_Come on, brother! Faster!_

Lovino stopped dead in his tracks out of shock. He stood stiff, hunched and breathing. As the sound of paw steps ceased behind Gilbert, the tabby slowed and looked behind him. Walking back over the peak of the hill he had crossed, he was shocked to see the tan tom frozen like that. He padded slowly over to Lovino.

"Hey… you all right?" he asked cautiously.

Lovino's head shot up, furious gaze locked on Gilbert's red eyes, and Gilbert felt frightened for one of the few times in his life.

"I can't _believe_ I let myself get dragged around like that!" Gilbert stepped back at the force of his outcry.

"_Honestly,_ prancing around like a fluff headed kit, _what _was I thinking?"

"Hey, everyone needs to have fun once in a while." He remarked, still a little unsure of the tom's current mood.

Lovino glared at him again, before turning and walking past, purposefully allowing his shoulder to bump Gilbert out of the way.

"Listen, thanks for getting me this far, but I have_ real_ business to take care of." He spoke very condescendingly. "I can't keep playing games with you, little kit. So just run off and find some new play mate."

Gilbert whipped around, now furious.

"Who in the star cat's names made _your _mission so much more important than_ mine_? You have _no idea_ what I'm looking for, so don't even give me that sort of talk, dung face!" he snapped. Lovino whirled around to face him, pressing his mussel close to Gilbert's personal space.

_ "I'll_ tell you what, mange breeder! I'm looking for _family_, while _you're_ just out here dancing through the lea-"

"Wait, wait." Gilbert interrupted, previous malice gone from his voice. "You're looking for family?"

"Yeah. My brother." Lovino murmured. Gilbert's eyes lit up.

"I'm looking for my brother, too!" Lovino looked towards him with disbelief.

A flash lit up the sky a blinding white, and a monstrous roar ripped through the air as rain began to fall heavily upon their heads. Lovino glared towards the sky with a look of utter frustration. He was_ done_ with the world! Gilbert chuckled a bit, and spoke up with a friendlier tone.

"Let's find a place to rest until the rain is gone."

"Yeah." The anger had finally left Lovino along with the rain, leaving the cat simply tired and depressed. "Let's do that."

Gilbert gazed in wonder at the rain drops falling over head. The droplets caught the star light and shone like small gems dropping down from the sky. He was captivated by their simple beauty. The cat curled next to him just grumbled in annoyance. Lovino didn't like the closeness between them, but the branches they were crouched under only provided a spot of total cover where their leaves crossed to form a sturdy roof. Gilbert looked over at the tan tom beside him, and felt a stab of sympathy towards the cat. He was obviously distressed and angry at… well, everything it seemed. But one questioned still lingered in the tabby's mind.

"So, Lovino?" The tom's eyes drifted to Gilbert.

"Can you tell me about your brother?" Lovino now picked his head up. "Like, how you got separated, and what he was like?"

"Why?" Lovino asked with suspicion in his voice.

"Because I'm interested. And I'm looking for a brother too. And… I can tell it bothers you, so why not share the burden?" Lovino glared at him.

"Hey, it may sound silly, but I know from experience that talking about it does relieve some stress."

Lovino sighed in defeat. He was too tired to put up a fight again, and he was feeling bad about the mange breeder comment.

"Alright, I'll tell you. It was many seasons ago, so many I lost count. I was still a kit at the time, my brother just weaned off mother's milk."

_We lived in the depths of the denning place, where the dens rose higher than all the others, straight metal trees stabbing at the sky. We slept in a soiled, old box in an alley. It was small, but with all four of us curled together inside, it was warm. One day, our parents walked off, and never came back. I wouldn't become aware until much later of the possibility that they were dead. Eventually, we got hungry, so as the oldest I took my brother to find food. We were so young at the time, we had no concept of how scary the world was, or how dangerous it was to be alone. To us, it was an adventure. And opportunity to be big cats. We got lucky the first few moons, the bins nearby were full of half eaten Nofur food, and the cats around us were willing to share with kits._

_ My brother looked up to me, worshiped me like a wise old cat who knew everything about everything. But we could not have been more wrong. I tried to teach him to hunt, but when he failed, I just said he wasn't doing it right, and he agreed whole heartedly. There were so many times we were close to death, but never realized it. He was almost crushed by a Beast, we were almost shredded by some rogues, torn apart by dogs, and food was becoming harder and harder to find. We were getting hungry, and my brother was getting whiney, and my nerves were at an end. I yelled at him to stop, and to go back to the box to wait for me… Oh, how could I have possibly known what was going to happen? When I got back to the box, he was lying on his side, breathing shallow and quick, and his fur felt like it was on fire. He was sick. Very sick. And each day it got worse._

_ His eyes glazed over, he could no longer stand, and I didn't know what to do. Panic clawed at my chest as I desperately searched for food. But it was pointless. Eventually, I heard of a cat in the park who knew about herbs and how to heal sick cats. I went to find him. Surely this healer could fix my brother. But he couldn't. Turns out, there is a special plant to get rid of fevers, he told me all about it. How it looked, how it tasted, how it smelled; but he had none. The plant was located in a part of town guarded by an extremely territorial group of rogues, who beat and sometimes killed the cats who trespassed._

_ But I was naive and desperate. I thought him a coward, a sniffling crying kit. But I was strong. Nothing could touch me. I could sneak past those rogues and take as many plants as I wanted no problem. So in the dead of night, I suck up to their boundary, and crossed the line. I got to the park, moving as silently as I could. The night was dense and black; I should have known it was a bad idea when I couldn't see a thing. I made it to the center of the park, and a sharp, stinging scent caught my nose. It was the fever plant. I left my stealth plan at the wayside in my excitement and ran towards the clump of leaves growing next to a huge oak tree. I was so distracted scooping up huge mouthfuls of thick scented stems that I was oblivious to the gleaming yellow eyes concentrated on me from the woods._

_ The silent figures crept slowly behind me, barely making a sound as they got closer and closer. By the time their horrid and stale scent caught my nose, they were on me. With a yowl, claws glinting in the night, they knocked me roughly to the side, pressing their heavy paws on my shoulders, sharp nails digging into my fur, a few inches from drawing blood. One pressed my head to the ground, grinding my nose in the dirt as they laughed above me. The one in the lead, a skinny grey tom, walked up and stuck is mussel in my face with scorn in his gaze. There was an absolute hatred for me that I had never seen in a cat before; and he had never met me before._

_ "Heh heh heh." His voice was gruff and strained like he hadn't spoken in a long time. "Looks like a rat has come sniffing at our door!" The other cats mewed in agreement._

_ "Well, we can't have rats scurrying around. They'll stink up the whole place!" I was trying to retort with a sharp come back about how bad they smelled, but my jaws were still clamped around the fever plant. The lead rogue noticed this and snapped the greens from me._

_ "What's this?" his voice was building in outrage. "This mangy rat has been tearing up our grass! Destroying our property!" The rest growled and hissed furiously at me. "No one takes from our territory and gets away with it! Teach him a lesson, boys!"_

_ Teeth fastened around my neck and yanked me high into the air. I screamed as I was tossed aside, unable to defend myself as they descended upon me. Paws beat against me from all angles, sending me flying around like a piece of limp prey from angry cat to angry cat. Claws slashed down my fur, fangs bit and tore at my flesh. I felt warm and wet blood clog my pelt and splatter across the ground. Pain blossomed from all sides so fast and so quick that all the strikes blended together in a thousand points of suffering. I remember wishing for death right then and there. I thought the forest of flashing legs and squirming bodies would never stop!_

_ My bruised and beaten body rolled across the ground and fell into a ditch, landing with a squelch in the sticky mud below. The substance clogged my wounds, but my mind was so far gone from consciousness that all I could do was let out a strained mew of pain. Cruel laughter drifted from above. The rogues stood in a line at the top of the gulch, shouting crude words and chuckling at my pain. As they turned and stalked away, the leader shot back one more insult that I could not hear before my vision went black._

_ When I next came to, I was sitting within a Metal Beast, tired and wrapped in brightly colored pelts with an ageing female Nofur taking me farther and farther away from my home, and my brother._

As the tale came to a close, Lovino was staring despairingly at the ground below, sadness welling to a breaking point. Gilbert watched him with a kind and worried gaze.

"There are some nights I still see them… the flashes of moving fur, the sting of failing paws, and those symbols… the strange 'x' scars marring their bodies… And some days, I wonder, why am I even trying? With how easily I was snatched up, and left him alone for so long… I don't even deserve to be his brother anymore. I don't even know if he's still alive!" Lovino wailed in despair as Gilbert chose to speak up.

"That's not true and you know it." Lovino looked up towards him, sorrow visible in his eyes. "No matter how far apart, no matter how many seasons separate you, a bond between brothers is something that can never be broken." Lovino still looked at him with disbelief. "If your brother is alive, and out there, then I know, with absolute certainty, that he's waiting for you to find him. He's waited all this time, and he'll wait a thousand years more until you find him again."

Lovino sniffed and rubbed his face. "How do you know?"

Gilbert gave him a 'duh' face. "I told you already, I have a brother too! And I lost him the same…"

_It was also many seasons ago. I was a young cat, in the prime of my youth. At the time, I ruled the alley ways! My name had spread far and wide from my famous tricks; I've stolen bones from dogs, food from Nofurs, escaped from more kennels than I can count! Cats came from far and wide to ask my advice and help, and I couldn't have been happier. But there was one thing I was proud of more than anything else; my younger brother._

_ He was such a little kit, with stubby legs and a head for too big from the rest of his body, but I loved him more than life itself. He was a tough kit. Durable, in for all the rough patches that came with having such an awesome brother. Once he was big enough, I took him on all my excursions and tried to teach him to be just like me! He was slow, though, not able to keep pace, and was always in danger. But I never saw it that way, I just saw an opportunity to show off again._

_ I look care of him as best I could, he was always well fed, always safe, we had a great relationship. But I should have known I was running on luck, and that it was soon to run out._

_ I'd found a meat shop on the street full of tasty looking goodies. We planned to sneak in once a Nofur opened the door, very routine, we had done this before. Once the opportunity came, we were inside in a flash, quickly scouring the place for all the food we could find before he returned. Cramming a variety of different juicy meats into our mouths, we made a break for the door. In a split second, something flashed out of the corner of my eye, and I heard my brother scream in pain._

_ His paw had caught in the floor, sending him flat on his face and causing the food to scatter across the hard surface I turned back, dropping my own share as I tried to yank him out from the floor boards. At that moment, the Nofur came back in and spotted us. Screaming in outrage, he grabbed some tool off his desk and I knew he was calling for the animal catchers. Panic sped my pace as I yanked harder on my brother's scruff. He whined in pain, begging me to stop before his paw ripped off. But I was deaf in my desperation, and with a final tug, his paw popped free leaving a few blonde tuffs of fur behind on the wood._

_ We turned and sprinted for the opening that the Nofur had left open, leaping onto the street side and dashing down the side of the Black Path. Eventually, I figured we had left the place far behind, and I slowed to a walk. Laughter bubbled in my chest at the thrill of a close getaway, and I turned to my brother to boast. But something caught his eye, and he was staring wide-eyed behind me. Before he could open his mouth, a force slammed into my side and I was hoisted high into the air, dangling above my open mouthed brother._

_ I squirmed to look behind me, and was met with the huge, square face of a male Nofur. Some kind of mesh material surrounded me and I knew what this was. Desperately, I thrashed and slashed with my claws at the netting, but they just became tangled and caught within the small holes, and the Nofur walked away, blind to my struggles. I heard a desperate plea coming from the ground. My brother was running after us, pelting at full speed to try and keep up with the huge Nofur's strides. But it was no use. We got to his Metal Beast, and he shoved me into a cage in the back, slamming the doors in my face with only the grate allowing me to see outside._

_ The Beast started with a grumble and began to pull away, slowly gaining speed as it rolled down the Black Path. He was still running, trying to reach me, shouting my name and pleading for me to be let go. I knew at this point, the Nofur would notice and take him too; I couldn't allow that._

_ "Stop!" I shouted. "Don't follow me! Turn around and go home! Find a safe place to hide and wait for me there! I'll come find you again! I promise, brother!"_

_ He had skidded to a halt, gazing confused and sad at the fleeing beast. At last he spoke up._

_ "Okay! I'll wait for you, brother! I'll wait as long as it takes for you to find me again! I promise!"_

_ Emotion welled in my chest. He was so brave, so determined, just like me. I was so proud._

_ "I love you!" I screamed as the Metal Beast put on a burst of speed and revved out of sight._

"And that… was the last time I saw him." Gilbert gazed solemnly out of the tree, caught up in melancholy memories. "I was stuck in that kennel for a long time. The cages were metal with no opening for me to slip a paw towards the latch. And they fed us through flaps in the front so the door was never opened. It wasn't until that earth growl came along and cracked the den in half that I was able to escape. It's been a long time… but I know he's still waiting. A promise between brothers is a promise that will last forever."

He spoke with such convection and confidence, that Lovino could only stare. To have so much belief and hope… it made his own worries seem pointless. Of course his brother would be glad to see Lovino.

"Yeah." Lovino watched the rain fall. "Brothers are brothers."

Gilbert smiled at him.

"Now you get it."

And the two wandering felines drifted into sleep, with thoughts of reunion their lullabies.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Long shadows were thrown against the side of the pipe as the party of three continued walking besides the river of filth. The pit pat of rain echoed from above and small waterfalls pooled from the grates, mixing with whatever was flowing below. At this point, Arthur was somewhat thankful for cover from the harsh rain. If only this star forsaken place didn't smell like rat droppings. The horrid stench that lingered throughout all corners constantly filled the older cat's nose, preventing him from scenting anything else. Alfred and Matthew barely seemed to notice.

Alfred was caught up in some new fantasy, dragging Matthew along as per usual.

"Come on, Matthew! These wild caves aren't going to explore themselves!" the ginger splotched adolescent pelted past Arthur with his cream brother right on his tail.

"W-wild caves?" Matthew's voice quivered with fear. "That sounds really scary! I don't want to play in scary caves." Arthur stopped and turned to his brother with a frustrated sigh.

"Alright, we'll play something else." The young tom thought for a second while Matthew caught his breath, already spent from the burst of activity.

"I know!" Alfred's eyes lit with excitement. "We'll be brave warrior cats who are out to concur the wilderness; like in the stories!" Matthew's eyes glowed with wonder.

"Ooh, warrior cats."

"Yeah, exactly! Let's see… I'll be… Oh oh! I'll be FoxTrapper! Explorer of jungles who can beat a fox with just one paw!" Alfred dropped to a crouch during his explanation, pretending to stalk the long, furry tails foxes where known to have.

"Hey!" Matthew exclaimed. "Why do you get to be the strongest warrior?"

Alfred groaned.

"Matthew, I made the game, I get to be FoxTrapper!"

"But he's the best one!"

"So? I still thought of it first!"

"Well then I'm just going to sit here and stop playing with you!" With a fed up _humph, _Matthew plopped down on his rear, nose turned up in the air at his brother. Alfred slapped a paw across his face. For being known as the sensible one, his brother could be very stubborn when he wanted to.

"FoxTrapper isn't the only good one." Matthew gave him a look.

"No, really! You can be…" Alfred scanned the area for something, eyes landing on the murky river.

"You can be TroutSnapper!" Matthew's ears perked up in interest.

"TroutSnapper was a powerful swimmer, who swam through the deepest rivers, and caught a trout by claw that was bigger than a Nofur den!"

"Wow…" Matthew trailed off, imagination captured by the escapades of TroutSnapper. But he would not give his brother the satisfaction of winning.

"Okay." He tried to act like the whole thing was above him. "I'll be TroutSnapper."

Alfred giggled in happiness, cuffing his brother over the ear as he took off down the tunnel again.

"Come on, TroutSnapper! There's so much to see!"

Matthew mewed in laughter in response and pelted after his brother. Arthur sighed at their antics, glad that they had found something to take their minds off the traumatic situation.

_That leaves me with the task of figuring out how to get out of here. Or if we can't, what do we do about food?_

Nothing in the immediate area seemed edible, and there was no prey scent detectable under the pipes' foul stench. There was no spot that looked comfortable enough to sleep in. Not to mention all the possible openings were blocked off and too far above them to reach. That left Arthur with absolutely zip to work with.

_Gah! What do I do, what do I do? _

Arthur's paws itched and worry clawed at his belly as anxiety built in his gut. He whipped his head from side to side, struggling to think. His gaze was drawn to Alfred and Matthew, frolicking by the river side a few tail lengths ahead. The young toms remained oblivious to the danger they were in both earlier and now, but soon they would be hungry, and tired and cold. They were not safe here. They needed to find some exit soon.

_Oh, some cat! Show me the way!_ He wailed desperately inside his head.

Matthew took a break from following Alfred's adventure plan, distracted by his older brother's pacing. His claws clicked across the hard floor, unsheathed in frustration, and he growled each time he scanned the roof above. Something was bothering him, though Matthew was unsure of what.

The cream tom's fur felt warm, and his gazed shifted to the part of the tunnel that stretched ahead. A strange blue light was catching on his long and fluffy pelt, flickering and shifting across his body. The light grew brighter, and lifting his head, Matthew saw more spots of light dotting the stone ahead of him. Matthew turned towards the ceiling above. Through the grated openings, the rain clouds from earlier had parted, and the stars burned bright and cold, their rays filtering through and into the tunnels. The spots of light on the floor were broken by shadows cast from the bars, and with their added shifting and waving, they oddly looked like large, shiny paw prints.

Something sparked in Matthew's eyes, a flicker of recognition hidden deep within, somewhere he did not remember. An invisible force tugged on his paws, urging him forward. This was important. They had to go this way. He had no idea why, but Matthew knew he needed to listen to the stars. His mind zoned as the desire to move forward grew stronger. He gingerly reached out a paw towards the first blue print, ready to take a step, before a flash of cream and ginger fur rammed right into his side, toppling Matthew over as Alfred bolted past towards Arthur.

Matthew shook his head before looking back towards the tunnel. The paw prints were gone, and so was that weird pulling in his chest. Shaking his head and putting his confusion out of his mind, the young cat stood and followed slowly after his more excited brother.

"Arthur! Arthur!" Alfred bounced up and down on his fuzzy little paws, trying to get his brother's attention.

"Gah. What? What?" The older tom hissed in agitation as Alfred's fluffy form flew in and out of his view.

"You should play with us!" Alfred dropped to the floor, wiggling his tail in anticipation. Arthur groaned.

"How many times do I have to tell you-"

"Pleeeeeeeeeease?" his brother interrupted. "Just this once? Matthew wants you to play, too. Right, Matthew?"

Bright blue eyes met purple as the youngest brother padded over to them. He and Alfred exchanged a look. The young tom was absolutely begging him to help. Matthew figured Alfred was getting worried; the dark and bleak surroundings finally affecting the adventurer, so he wanted to be close to his brother. Though there was no way he would admit that. Sighing, Matthew decided to through Alfred a bone this once.

"Yes, please, Arthur! I'd love to play with you! We do it so little!"

Now both kits were gathered around his paws, staring intently at him, little eyes sparkling with emotion. Oh how Arthur tried to resist, but it was no use, the ginger tom admitted defeat.

"Fine, I'll play."

Alfred howled in joy and spun in a circle several times, making a quick lap around the other two to expend excess energy.

"And I know the perfect warrior! The great… the powerful… BadgerTamer!"

"BadgerTamer?" Arthur asked, clearly exasperated. "What the heck is that?"

Alfred's dance of joy ceased at his brother's words, rounding on him with a look of disbelief.

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"The stories! Mother always told us stories in the nest before she…" He trailed off, looking towards the ground in sadness. A pang stabbed Arthur's heart in pity for the small cat. But with a shake of his fur, Alfred was right back to himself.

"I expected this from Matthew, he wasn't around much to hear them, but you? I still remember each and every one she told me about!" Alfred bounded up a nearby pile of random clutter, crouching at the top in a hunting pose, long shadow thrown against the back wall.

"Long ago," he began in a deep voice, trying to imitate some wise old story teller. "Deep in the woods, a fearsome badger, bigger than any other before it, terrorized the forest cats. He would kill any who approached his home, slaughter any that got in his way, and sometimes roamed in search of cats to murder… for fun!" At the last part, Matthew yelped, and ran behind Arthur's legs, shaking like a leaf.

"Until one day, a new cat came to the forest. He was a huge cat, black and white pelt shining in the light, and with a voice that commanded instant respect, he said; 'I'll take care of your badger! When I'm finished, you'll wonder what had you scared in the first place!' And so the brave tom approached his den, and sure enough, the beast rose from the set, claws flashing, fangs gleaming, and roared a terrible roar as he charged at the cat. But just as it reached him, the cat sucked in a huge breath of air… and roared like a lion, right in his face! Trees bent in the wind of his outburst, birds ten starlengths away were startled from their perches, and the badger practically had his fur blown off.

"As the powerful call died in the wind, that formerly huge badger sat crouched on the hard, cold ground, shivering and averting his eyes. With the color of his pelt, and the huge roar, the badger acknowledged the cat as one of his own. And not just any other badger, but a badger even stronger than he was. So he surrendered to the cat, begging for him to spare his life. The cat said; 'I will spare you on one condition: follow me across this world for as long as I travel, and serve me in all I do.' The badger agreed immediately, and became his faithful servant. And the cat was soon dubbed BadgerTamer, after his skill at bending the beast to his will."

Alfred climbed down as he finished his story, coming to a stop in front of Arthur.

"That's why it's perfect for you; you make everyone respect you, where ever you go."

Arthur's pelt heated in embarrassment, surprised at the usually difficult kit's sudden praise. Alfred smiled up at him, showing that he was sincere.

"W-well, thank you Alfred." Arthur licked his chest fur. "Alright, I'll play."

Alfred cheered and ran off, Matthew keeping pace as Arthur followed behind.

"I've never heard you say stuff like that, Alfred. That was very nice of you."

"Oh, that?" He sounded distracted. "Yep, yep! Totally true." The tom snickered, and Matthew felt suspicion grow in his pelt.

"Wait, did you just say that to get him to play with us?" Alfred just laughed.

Matthew would have given him a stern talking to, but it was nice to have Arthur playing with them again, so he just rolled his eyes as the trio pelted down the tunnels, racing within their imaginary world.

Arthur panted heavily as his weary limbs began to slow down. Coming to a stop, the ginger tom collapsed to the floor in a mess of huffing and wheezing as Alfred and Matthew skidded in front of him. Matthew appeared slightly concerned, but Alfred just looked annoyed.

"What's wrong, BadgerTamer? Why'd you stop? We were right on those foxes' trail!" His tail fur fluffed with the excitement of the pretend chase. Arthur shifted to rest his head on his forepaws.

"Oh… BadgerTamer's just tired…"

"Tired?!" The young tom cried in disbelief. "Warriors don't get tired! They all have amazing stamina that lets them travel the world!"

"Well BadgerTamer seems to have run out!" Arthur snapped at him, patience wearing thin.

"Why don't you and Matt- or… TroutSnapper go… scout the area or something? The foxes can't have gotten far… BadgerTamer needs to catch his breath."

"Alright!" Alfred's previous anger forgotten. "I, the great FoxTrapper, shall find those weaselly beasts!" And the two kits raced farther ahead.

Arthur closed his eyes slightly, hoping to get a bit of shut eye. It had to have been well into the night by now, darkness only could be seen from within the pipes. He still had no idea how Alfred and Matthew could continue to have this much energy late into the moon's travels. Perhaps fright from their previous escape still flooded through their veins, preventing weariness from taking hold. Farther off, the two brothers settled next to a curve in the river, where the murky water split from the main path into a smaller channel sliding off into a third passageway.

Their reflections were barely visible in the muck, with muted and ever shifting colors and shapes. Matthew's bright purple eyes still glowed across the brown-green surface. An idea popped into Alfred's head.

"Hey, TroutSnapper!"

"What?" his brother questioned, gaze still entranced by the strange liquid. It gave Matthew an odd feeling, and set his tail fur tingling, though the shaking limb went unnoticed by both.

"I bet this would be a great place to fish!"

"What?!" His brother yelled in disbelief. Fishing here would require physical contact with the water… and whatever strange things lurked below.

"You want me to stick my paw in… in that?!" he pointed towards the churning substance.

"Yeah. And?"

"Well that's… that's crazy! Who knows what could be down there? And I don't know how to fish anyway!"

"Matthew, Matthew! Relax! You're TroutSnapper, right? Fishing runs through your veins! And besides, when did any fish cause trouble for him? You'll be able to do it!"

Matthew still looked unsure.

"Oh, come on!" Alfred cried. "Just do it this once! For the game, pleeeeeeease?"

Matthew thought for a moment. The water still gave him chills, but the last thing he wanted to do was back down, to be called weak by his brother, as so many had in his short lifetime.

"… Alright. But you have to cover me. That means catching me if I fall in or if… something… grabs me."

"Okay, okay! I got it! Just do it!"

The cream tom craned his head over the edge, slowly inching his head closer towards the water.

Farther off, Arthur lifted his head, turning his forest green eyes towards his brothers. He sighed contently as he watched, a strange peace settling over the area. They may be stuck now, but they were alright. Perhaps things would turn out okay.

A deep rumble stirred the sensitive hairs along the inside of his ear. Arthur twitched and shifted his hearing, searching in confusion. What was that? The rumble sounded again, louder than before, sending waves slightly shifting the pipe below.

The sound rippled water, and Matthew snapped his head up.

"Alfred!"

"What?" the tom shouted back, startled by the sudden outburst.

"Stop trying to disrupt me!"

"How on earth am I disrupting you?"

"By making that growling right in my ear!"

"What growl-"

_GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_

A thunderous gurgle echoed through the pipes, bouncing around and filling their ears to the brim with sound. The young toms flattened themselves to the floor, ears flat, Matthew's tail shaking rapidly, like it was about to fall off. That was _not_ Alfred. Arthur leapt into action, standing protectively over his brothers and waited for the quaking to pass.

"Wh- what was that?" Alfred squeaked from the floor.

Another, almost indistinguishable sound reached Arthur's ears, a shifting and sloshing that turned his blood to ice.

"We have to run."

"What?" The kits asked from below, unsure if they heard him. The sloshing, though still quiet, was growing.

"We have to run!"

With a shove, he pushed them into the pipe that branched from their current path, guiding them down random turns that led as far away from the noise as he could tell.

"Wh- what's wrong?" Matthew asked as they ran.

A rock settled in Arthur's stomach. He wanted so much to be wrong… To think that the rain had affected nothing. But he knew that was a lie. With the extensive pelting from above that lasted most of the night, the huge water falls raining down, the confined nature of these tunnels, he should have known better.

"The tunnels… they're-"

Thoughts were cut short as the group took another sharp turn, only to be met with chest deepgreen water.

"Flooding!" Matthew finished his thought as the cream tom leapt a whole tail length into the air, fur fluffed in fright, and pelted in the other direction, stinking water leaving a trail in his wake.

The other brothers followed, racing at incredible speeds to keep up. They were headed back the way they came. Arthur expected it was a bad idea, but it was the only way back out, back to where the tunnels split. As they rounded the corner, they saw Matthew, frozen with eyes caught at the distance. Arthur did not have to question what he saw. It was clear as day. The water was coming.

A huge wave washed round the bend, sloshing and crashing against the side, turning in their direction. The wave roared, filling the distant pipe and reaching foamy claws out to grab and pull them under. With a shout of fear and desperation, the group turned and rain down a new tunnel as fast as possible.

The sound of the cursed water faded slightly behind them, and as they left them in the distance, Arthur slowed down, gasping for air. He knew it would be upon them soon, but the ginger cat could not bring himself to run any farther. There was no escape route, and no end to the tunnels in sight.

"Arthur?"

He turned and saw Alfred crouched beside him, eyes wide and scared witless. He knew without being told what he was asking. Were they going to die?

Arthur had no answer. He had no options, no plan. Only shame that he had failed his brothers, brought them so far, only to be swept away under the earth, with no one to notice or mourn. Instead of speaking, he pulled Alfred close, trying to offer a last bit of comfort before the inevitable. Alfred buried his head in Arthur's chest, whimpering and sobbing.

_I'm sorry, mother._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Matthew's eyes caught hold of a glimmer, just out of his visibility. In intrigue, he turned and walked away from the others, following its call. In what was the full darkness of the pipe, another starry paw print glimmered brightly before him, in the same sparkly glory he had first seen them in. Farther away, another appeared, then another, and another, until a whole pathway of stars was visible. They shone bright, like a flash of hope in the abyss of depression. Matthew knew what he must do.

He pelted back to his brothers, clutched in a huddle for some reason. He tugged at Arthur's shoulder until the older cat raised his gaze, but the usually bright greens were dulled and faded. Matthew was surprised. He had none of the usual determination evident within him. Defeat had claimed this cat; a feeling Matthew was well aware of. All the times his small stature and meek demeanor had led to failure, where he lay dumb on the ground, refusing to move again, to just wanting to fade from his uselessness.

But that hadn't stopped his brothers from picking him up before, telling him to stand, helping him walk when he refused, and getting him move on. They always convinced him he _had_ use, that he _was_ needed, that being the runt meant _nothing_ now that he had survived. Anything was within his reach.

The cream tom refused to give up. He wiggled under Arthur's forepaw, giving a hardy shove at his armpit, forcing him up and away from Alfred.

"Matthew…" Arthur said numbly. "What are you doing?"

"We have to get out. We have to move." Alfred looked at him confusingly, tears staining his face.

"But Matthew… There is no way out." Arthur looked down dejectedly. "I've got nothing. I failed you." Anger surged through Matthew.

"That's not true!" Arthur's head jerked up. "You could never fail us! Just being here is enough! Besides, I did find a way! There is a way out!" A spark returned to Arthur's eyes, and his voice wavered no longer as he spoke.

"Which way?"

He led them down the way and stopped at the first print.

"There, you see?" The other two whipped their heads around, scanning the empty corridor.

"See what, Matthew?"

"The paw prints! The ones made of starlight on the ground!"

"Matthew… There's nothing on the floor." Alfred was utterly confused. The hard walkway was as cold and green as usual.

"You… you can't see them?" He looked towards the pathway. They glimmered as brightly as before. How could they miss it?

"Are you feeling okay, Matthew?" Arthur lifted a paw to his forehead. Matthew swatted it away angrily.

"Yes, I'm alright! And I do know a way out! Come on!" He started down the starry path, though his brothers remained rooted to the ground.

"Matthew, this is no time for games." Arthur scolded.

"It's not a game!" He cried angrily, startling the other two with his unusually loud outburst.

"You have to trust me." The tunnel rumbled in the distance.

"And we don't have much time." His hardened purple gaze met Arthur's, full seriousness radiated from his stance.

Arthur felt a tug at his paw.

"I trust him." Alfred spoke with utter conviction by his side. Arthur turned back to the smaller of the two. The tunnel gave another shudder.

"Alright. Lead the way."

They had wasted a lot of time with talk and plans, for as soon as they took off again, the water raged out of the opening behind them, flooding over the sparkling paw steps they had passed. Alfred yelped in fear, and tried to tuck himself closer to Arthur's stomach fur as they ran. But Matthew struck out ahead, conviction and faith filling his paws with boundless energy as they followed the gleaming path. The tug grew stronger still, and he almost thought he could hear whispers in the wind.

_This is the way. There is an exit. You will survive!_

He repeated the final phrase in his mind as a mantra, even as the water's sound blurred all other noise, and he felt a wetness lapping at his pads. A light, shining brighter than all others blazed down and into his eyes, effectively blinding the tom for a few moments. As it cleared, he recognized the warmth and scent of fresh air. The sun had risen, shining rays through an opening just above them.

Matthew nearly cried out with joy as he saw that this one was not blocked by long metal bars, and that a stone stair way protruded from the wall in a crude ladder. A way up, and away from the water. Looking back, he saw Alfred gazing with joy, Arthur with pure disbelief.

They stopped only a moment at the first step, before Matthew felt Arthur's teeth on his scruff, lifting and flinging him upwards towards the top rung. Reaching with claws stretched, he wrapped his small fuzzy paws around the bar, heaving his body upward and to the top. Turning around, he saw Alfred following slowly, heavier weight giving him trouble climbing up. Arthur shoved impatiently at his hind legs, trying to give him a boost. Craning down as Alfred got closer, Matthew gripped his scruff, tugging sharply and giving his brother the final leverage needed to get up.

"I swear, I'll never take seconds again!" he cried in terror and relief.

Arthur was last, Alfred's slow climb leaving him near the bottom, but he was climbing fast. The water was faster, though. Most of it reached to his paws now, and with a flash of horror, Matthew could see the huge swell approaching. If that crest of water hit Arthur, he would be swept away and drowned.

"Come on, Arthur!" Matthew yelled.

"You can do it!" Alfred shouted alongside him.

With a final push, Arthur leapt past the last few steps and landed out in the open, just as the wave his the wall, sending a splash of water after them, harmlessly brushing their fur.

All three collapsed on the side of the alley they had fallen into. Matthew gazing back towards the dark crevice on the side of the wall they had crawled out of. The sucking, slapping noise of water could still be heard, but it was far below and out of mind; they were safe. Matthew let out the breath he had been unaware he was holding in.

Arthur was flopped straight out on his stomach, heaving with the effort of flinging himself outside. Alfred rolled over on his side, wide blue eyes meeting his brother.

"Arthur?" he replied with a grunt.

"I'm hungry."

A shocked silence filled the air. Matthew looked horrified towards his brother. Now was hardly the time or the place- A warm chuckling filled the air, growing steadily into a full out laugh. Arthur had rolled onto his back, giggling hysterically.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahah!"

His brothers looked frightened and confused, but Arthur continued to laugh. It was not a laugh meant to be creepy, it was a laugh of joy, of happiness, of disbelief that Alfred could go through all that, and all of this torture and chaos in one night, and still come out thinking about food. The full weight of the situation and their escape crashed down on them, and Arthur could not help but laugh. Matthew soon caught the fear induced hysteria, and chuckled right along with. Eventually Alfred joined in, and all three cats were practically rolling across the ground.

"Wh-wh- ha ha ha!- Why are we laughing?" Matthew questioned through teary eyes.

"B-because- pffffft- Alfred's hungry." Arthur sighed before rising, shaking the laughter clear from his body.

"Come." Light had returned to his eyes as he looked at his brothers. "Let's find you both something to eat."

With hope restored, the three walked off with Arthur in the lead, to where? Still uncertain. But Alfred hoped there would be food.

The day dragged on hot and weary, and the brothers at last felt the effects of the nightly escapades hit them full force. Matthew and Alfred wavered on their paws, and Arthur stalked forward with his head down, tail brushing the dusty floor. The huge dens next to them provided no shade from the never ceasing heat, and there was barely a break in between them. These dens were much different from the ones Arthur had grown up with. There were no gardens, no flowers, no pleasant colors or wide windows. They were tall, emotionless, brick monoliths with no way to see inside. There were no Nofurs from what he had seen, no way to contact them to get some food. Arthur's stomach growled at the thought, and Alfred moaned in hunger behind him.

The situation was getting desperate. It was plain to see they would be getting no help from Nofurs now.

_How did the world turn so cruel over night?_

He could only wonder at what happened while they were in the pipes as the three settled for a moment against the wall. Matthew and Alfred fell asleep almost immediately, and Arthur could not help but sigh at the sight. They looked so peaceful. But this would not last long. Kits could starve easily in these conditions. He needed to think of a plan.

Arthur turned to survey his surroundings. The red wall of dens finally ceased a few tail lengths ahead, broken up by lengths of fences that led to smaller, more familiar dens. Perhaps that would be an easier place to look for food. Sniffing ahead, he found a section of fence that was cracked and missing a bottom plank. Through the gap, he could see the wall of a Nofur den, sagging and leaning in age. There was a large, gaping hole in the wall, large enough for them to get into.

_This is as good a place as any, I suppose._

Arthur trotted back to the two kits and tried to rouse them from sleep.

"Up and at'em you two."

Alfred groaned and rolled over, swinging out a paw to swat Arthur out of his face.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Too tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired…"

"Come on, we need to move. An open alley is no place to sleep." They both grumbled in response.

"Alfred?" Arthur leaned close to the fuzzy tom's ear. "There's food."

"Food!" Quick as a cream and ginger flash, he was up and away, racing a bit down the alley, before slowing himself and remembering that he had no idea where he was going.

Alfred padded back to them, smiling sheepishly at his brothers. They laughed warmly at his antics, though inside Alfred was scolding himself for acting so much like a kit at his age. Allowing Arthur to take the lead, the brothers crawled their way into the Nofur yard. There was no way Arthur could have predicted what he saw.

In the garden, he could see the tops of other dens and homes, or at least, where they used to be. Few remained standing, most caved in on themselves or lay in heaps of wood and stone on the ground. Smoke flooded the air from a few small fires raging across the wreckage. Fences lay in disarray, and he could hear the barks of strays and the moans of Nofurs echoing through denning place.

"What happened?" Matthew asked with wide eyes.

"The earth growl." Arthur replied grimly.

_No wonder it was so quiet before. It has reached even here. The earth jumped up, to reclaim the land occupied by Nofurs. But why? Are they being punished?_

It seemed silly to think that the earth itself could get angry at those living on it, but with how Nofurs tamed and combed back wilderness, who's to say it wouldn't? With all the crazy that's happened this past sunrise, Arthur was just about willing to believe anything. But there was no time to focus on the qualms of others. His family needed food and sleep. That was the most important thing.

"Come." He swept Alfred and Matthew away from the sight. "Where there's a Nofur den, there's food. Let's look inside."

He led the way into the hole, gazing cautiously at the darkness surrounding him. Arthur sniffed the air, checking for strange scents. Aside from stale Nofur and dog, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Taking a few steps in, he tested the floor and walls. Seemed sturdy enough. With a signal of his tail, Matthew and Alfred crawled in behind him, standing and shaking dust from their fur.

Alfred sighed in the relief the den provided from the hot sun. It was becoming unbearable to be out in his thick fur. Matthew pricked his ears and studied the area closely. Adventure sparked in both young cats, begging to be chased and followed until all that was unknown in the den became known. Alfred turned to Arthur, a pleading look in his eyes. The ginger tom sighed.

"Alright, you can look around." They squealed in excitement and took off. "But stay down stairs!"

Arthur quickly scouted the other rooms. They were empty aside from plush Nofur sitting spots still arranged in strange patterns across the floor.

_Those will make good sleeping places later._

Exploring further, he found himself in the kitchen, the place that Nofurs prepared food.

_Bingo!_

Though as he investigated further, he found no food left in the open spaces, and the cabinets were shut tight, with no way to get his paws in to open. The only food still available was stale dog kibble. And there was no way any of them were eating _that_.

_ I suppose there's only one option._

Arthur turned his attention to the stairs, which led up to a balcony that allowed one to look over the downstairs before leading behind a wall. He strained his ears, listening for any signs of activity above. Nothing.

_Can't tell if that's a good sign, or a bad one…_

The last thing he was going to do was leave Alfred and Matthew down here alone, so he called the two to his side, told them to stay close, and took the first step to the upstairs.

The wooden boards creaked ominously underneath him, each shriek setting his fur on edge. If anything was up here, the last thing he wanted to do was alert it. Matthew pressed close to his stomach, Alfred's pelt bristled with excitement as wide eyes surveyed the stairway. They at last reached the top of the steps, where the pathway led back along the wall. The passage looked somewhat like the alley they had been in, small with the walls close together. Other doors hung ajar in the entrances to the other rooms. Sunlight filtered through the windows on the opposite side, filling the hall with sunlight. It felt suspiciously warmer than the downstairs.

Previous wariness forgotten, the group proceeded slowly forward checking each room before moving to the next. One room was small and orderly, with a single nest against the wall, covered in a flower pattern. Another was much larger, with a bigger nest and more storage things lining the sides. A third had a large variety of boxes and stuff, but none had food. Arthur was beginning to lose hope of ever finding something to eat in this den, until a tangy scent caught his nose. It was coming from the next room over. Padding towards the next one, Arthur's eyes widened in surprise, and Alfred let out a gasp of disbelief.

This new room was much messier than the past few, with toys, colorful pelts, and other strange items all over the floor. In the center, a huge pile of food sat abandoned by who ever had set it up. A box sat in the middle, with a round disk of bread covered in gooey cheese and a sharp smelling meat. In a bowl next to it were crispy, flakey things that smelt of grease and salt. The overall scent in the room was delicious. With a cry of joy, Matthew and Alfred raced in, Arthur following behind.

Alfred dug into the cheesy disk, mewling in happiness as he chewed. Arthur joined him. The food was still fresh and warm. Whoever was here must have abandoned this when the earth growl hit. Thank the stars for that!

"What's the gooey stuff?" Alfred mumbled through his food.

"That's cheese, Alfred. I've seen it on Nofur food before. And don't talk with your mouth full." He scolded and playfully cuffed the younger cat over the ear.

"What's the meat, then?"

"Hm. I'm not sure, actually. Must be some strange Nofur prey we never heard of."

"What are these crunchy things?" Matthew asked from the bowl, remembering to swallow first before he spoke.

"I think they're called chips, Matthew. They come in all sorts of strange flavors."

"This is tangy." He mewed as he padded over to them. "I think I'll have some of this instead."

They spent quite some time munching away. Eventually, Arthur's stomach felt full, and he tore himself away from the sticky cheese that covered his mussel, deciding to settle down on the floor as the other two continued to eat. Even now, they were still hungry. It had been a long day. After this, they could rest. And as soon as they had their strength, they could move on. Arthur settled his head on his paws to get a bit of rest before they finished.

A harsh yowl broke the silence, and Arthur jumped to his paws, fur bristling in anticipation. Out of the dim doorway, a black, slinky rouge stalked into the room, eyes narrowed, surveying the group with obvious contempt. Arthur rushed in front of Matthew and Alfred, standing in a defensive position as he blocked the new cat's view of the kits.

"Who are you?" the cat growled low and fierce, fur fluffed and legs stiff in an attempt to be intimidating.

Arthur's fur settled slightly. Perhaps they could talk this out. Avoiding a fight might be a possibility.

"Hello, we are-" The cat sniffed the air, eyes widening, before he snapped and interrupted.

"Oh, I know who you are."

"You do?" Arthur asked confusedly.

"Yeah. You're a bunch of stinking, over fed _kittypets_." He hissed the last word like it pained him to say it, speeding his approach until the tom was face to face with Arthur.

"Kitty pets who have stalked into my den, stuck their chubby faces into my food, and left their filthy scent all over my nest!" The black cat was practically spitting in Arthur's face, still encroaching on him, forcing the ginger tom to back up.

"This is yours? We had no-"

"Don't try to weasel your way out of this one, kittypet." He sniffed Arthur's fur indignantly. "You reek of Nofur. How can you even stand to be around them? Just because you hang out with the big guys, all you house pets think you can run the place! Taking whatever you please, it makes me _sick_. You don't deserve to be called cats!"

Arthur's fur bristled indignantly.

"That was uncalled for-"

"Oh, it was plenty called for, kittypet. And guess what? You may not have noticed, but your time is up. The earth has over thrown the Nofur reign, and with it, your life of privileges! You're the lowest on the food chain now! And since you haven't seemed to have learned your place yet…" The tom raised a clawed paw high above his head. "I'll be glad to teach you a lesson you won't soon forget!"

Before Arthur could react, the paw came swooping down, slashing across his face and sending him tumbling backwards with a grunt of pain. The black tom followed with a yowl, crushing him to the floor under his weight. Alfred and Matthew yelped and pressed themselves into a corner beside the plush cushion on the ground.

Thinking quickly, Arthur squirmed from his grasp before the rouge could get a good snap at his neck. Breaking from the hold, Arthur rolled to his stomach and heaved upward, flinging the cat off with his broad shoulders. With a hiss of agitation, he went tumbling a few tail lengths away, but was up again in the flash, lashing out towards Arthur's exposed flank.

Arthur matched his strikes blow for blow, exchanging impressive boxing moves as the black cat forced him up against a wall. The rouge aimed a few high swipes, luring Arthur's attention away from his center as he strove to protect his face. In one swift movement, Arthur's legs were swept out from under him and he was lying on his back again.

The skinny tom was upon him instantly, both cats spitting and scratching, struggling for dominance in the violent grip as they fought. Eventually, the smaller tom had Arthur pinned on his stomach in a choke hold, one paw pressed on his neck, the other supporting the cat as he pushed all his weight onto Arthur's back, effectively holding the ginger feline in place. With a growl, the rouge sank his claws into Arthur's shoulder, and he yowled desperately in pain.

"Feel that, kittypet? That is just a _taste_ of the pain your kind have caused me. The hunger, the desperation, the cold, cold nights. The scars and wounds of being beaten and kicked by your _oh so precious _caretakers. What a joke you are. You have no strength at all; no wild instinct, no drive to fight. A blind stray can fight better than you can. And this pain? That you feel in your shoulder? It is only the beginning." He twisted the claws set in his muscle, and Arthur cried out once more. "There will be _soooo _much more before me and my brethren are content." And with a terrible_ riiiiiiiiiiip_, the rouge raked his claws down Arthur's flank, immense pain blossoming across his body, ginger fur running thick and wet with blood.

"Arthur!" Matthew cried out from somewhere outside his vision, which blurred and throbbed with anguish. The rouge leaned close to his ear, crow-food scented breath making Arthur's eyes water even more.

"And when I'm finished with you, I'm sure those pitiful fuzz balls you call kits will make fun toys for later."

_NO!_

"Nooooooooooooooooooooo!_"_ Like a reprise to his thought, the call echoed across the room, and with a hiss of pain, the weight was removed from his back.

Turning his head and blinking bleary eyes, Arthur saw the tom shaking his head furiously, mewing a frustrated stream of curses as he did so. A cream, ginger patched burr clung to the back of his head.

_Alfred._ Arthur thought with a mixture of fear and relief.

"Get. Off. Me. You… FUR BALL!" The rouge grunted in rage as he continued to shake like a wet dog.

"Don't touch my brother!" Alfred growled out through tuffs of fur clenched between his tiny, sharp teeth.

The rouge reared up on his hind legs, attempting to fall on his back and use the weight to crush Alfred under him. Arthur's breath caught in his throat as the tom teetered for a moment, before letting out yet another cry of pain and dropping back to all fours. Whipping his gaunt head around, the cat's eyes trained on another lump clinging to his legs. Matthew had wrapped his entire body around the tom's back paws, fangs sinking into one leg, claws firmly rooting him to the ground. The cat limped and shook about the room like a crazed beast, slowed and hindered by the kits attached to his body.

Arthur felt pride swell in his chest at his brothers' bravery, but this was beyond dangerous for them. They could not handle one rouge on their own, no matter how small or malnourished. Rising unsteadily to his paws, mind still fogged slightly from the extent of his wound that still bled freely, Arthur crouched and rushed the rouge, claws sliding free once more.

But the tom saw him coming, and lashed back with an exclamation of success, blocking his poorly timed move. The cat chuckled before him, forgetting the cats clawing at his head and legs.

"Even with two others weighing me down, I can still fight you. And that wound won't be helping you much!" He lashed out again, but Arthur had enough reflexes left to dodge back and out of range, circling his enemy and breathing hard.

"Hey!" Alfred brought a hind claw down on the cat's eye, blinding him for a moment as he howled in rage once more. "I said don't mess with my brother!"

_Gah, Alfred!_ Arthur mentally scolded. _Stop drawing attention to yourself! Are you trying to die? This is no time to go on a power trip!_

The kits wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. With each shake, their grip loosened, each swipe and snap closer to a vital organ.

_I need a way to distract him. Get his guard down, make him vulnerable._

Arthur's eyes were drawn to the stomach, the most sensitive and easily wounded part of a cat's body. Any creature's body for that matter.

_I need some way to expose his stomach. A distraction…_

The realization hit him. He had two perfect distractions clinging to the cat already. They just needed to be guided.

"Alfred!" He called to the young tom gripping the back of his head. "The ears! Grab and pull his ears!"

"What-" The rouge's words were stopped by a blood curdling screech of pain as Alfred clamped down hard with tooth and claw, ripping and pulling back on the cat's sensitive ears. With a yank, the cat's head raised up, the rest of his body following as he tried not to get his ears ripped off.

"Matthew!" But the smart cream tom had caught on to the plan, rooting his weight in place on the cat's hind paws, preventing him from moving and keeping him reared into the air, exposing his belly.

_Now!_

Arthur gathered what remained of his strength and flung straight at the cat.

"Alfred! Matthew! Clear off!" Alfred jumped from his perch on the cat's shoulders and landed shakily on the ground. Matthew scampered off at the last minute, causing the rouge to stumble over his small body as the force of Arthur's push sent them tumbling down again.

As they fell, Arthur lashed out at the exposed area, landing heavy blows and slicing the skin open. The salty tang of blood filled his mouth as the ginger tom bit down hard close to the life giving artery in the throat, and the cat's cries changed from battle calls filled with rage, to desperate yowls of pure terror and fear. No more was he the intimidating force from earlier that threatened his brother's lively hoods. He was a small, scraggly cat, bleeding heavily and pleading for mercy under his paws. His pelt was dull and unkempt, and Arthur could now clearly see the bones that jutted from this pitiful cat's pelt, barely covered in thin muscles. He was defeated.

This cat had been fighting to kill. To kill all of them. Him, Alfred, Matthew. Who's to say he would not do so again given the chance, if he was let go? Arthur had been so close to the jugular before. He could rip it out right here, end this permanently and remove all chance of retaliation so they never had to worry about him again. But…

He looked back to his brothers. Alfred was standing firm and ready, claws out and pelt bristling in defiance. But he was visibly shaking, stress of battle taking a toll on his young mind. Matthew crouched behind Alfred, purple eyes wide and watching the exchange with both fear and intrigue. They were so innocent, so sweet, so kind… What would seeing their brother murder in cold blood do to them? To their perception of the world?

_No… No, this should not be the world they see._

They should not know a world of blood, where violence is the answer and victory is only found in death. A lesson needs to be shown. That mercy does not make you weak, that sparing a life is just as easy as ending one, that the higher road is always better.

So instead, Arthur leaned close to one of the shivering cat's shredded ears.

_Alfred sure did a number on those._

"Listen carefully, dungface." He whispered, not wanting the young ones to pick up a swear word. "I want you to get out. And don't come back." He leaned closer. "And if you ever, EVER, threaten my family again, you will regret it. Understand?"

The cat nodded furiously, lips quivering in fright.

"Good. Now out of my sight." He hissed as he released his hold on the rouge.

He turned and fled, squealing like a mouse. His lanky black tail swept round the corner and disappeared into the afternoon light. Just before his entire form vanished, Arthur noticed a peculiar mark. A small, 'x' shaped scar marked between his shoulder blades.

_I don't think I put that one there…_ he remarked to himself.

Arthur shook the thoughts from his mind. Now was not the time. A yowl of joy and admiration sounded behind him as Alfred and Matthew rushed towards him.

Matthew was shivering, though his eyes were bright with excitement and adrenalin. The young cat opened his mouth, as if to say something, but the young tom seemed to be at a loss of words for the situation. Alfred on the other hand…

"Whoa, Arthur! Did you see that? Did you see me?"

"How could I have missed it?" Arthur chuckled lightly.

"My first battle!" The ginger speckled tom mewed in excitement. "I totally gave that rouge what for! I was all like, _rawr rawr rawr rawr _with my teeth, and like, _scritch scritch scritch_ with my claws, and he was all like, _aaah aaah aaah_! He was crying like a kit!-"

Arthur zoned from Alfred's ranting for a moment, reflecting on what had happened. They had beaten a rouge! And a skilled one at that. Surely the word would spread from this one cat to the others… perhaps this would turn out to be a blessing. Street cred would get them respect, and cause other rouges to think twice before trying to pull something on them. He looked back at the smaller two, Alfred still going on and on about the event that just happened as if neither had been there, Matthew listening intently to every exaggerated word. They were safe, alright. Arthur smiled. And none of them were worse for wear.

"And I bet he'll never hear the same way agai-" Alfred's sentence stopped short as his attention was caught by a sudden moan from Arthur. Concern glittered his eyes as his brother swayed slightly on his paws.

Letting out a huff of air, Arthur plopped to the ground, sitting on his hind legs. He was breathing heavily, head bent in exhaustion. The older tom's eyes swam and blurred, and his fur felt hot.

"Arthur?" Matthew padded close. "Are you okay?"

Arthur shook his head, chasing away the fuzziness that lingered at the edges of his vision.

"I'm… I'm all right, Matthew." The cream tom walked to his side and gasped slightly, sniffing at the gaping claw marks that scored his side. The wounds were still bleeding slightly, sending scarlet drops down his fur.

"But that's a really bad scratch…"

Arthur craned his head and licked at the burning marks slightly, wincing at the tinges of pain that sparked in his shoulder.

"It's all right. It'll heal." He assured the small cats. Alfred looked satisfied, but Matthew still gazed at him uncertainly, his eyes seemed clouded with thought.

Shrugging to his paws, Arthur walked towards the door.

"Come on. We've eaten our fill, and this place has proven itself to be not a very reliable place to sleep. We don't need other cats sneaking up on us."

"Okay!" Alfred chirped happily, previous weariness forgotten in the heat of combat. Arthur smiled at them as the brothers stepped outside the room now stained with blood and signs of struggle.

"Let's go find somewhere safe."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Dawn stretched high and mighty through the sky, illuminating all corners and hideaway spots in the densest part of the denning place. Where the dens were tall and square, sometimes pointed at the top, and pressed so close that sometimes there was barely enough room for a mouse to pass between.

Warm rays crept in upon the dead end of an alley, surrounded on both sides by red brick and blocked behind by a tall wooden fence. A cat stirred from where he slept within a pile of tires stacked in a corner. Cold eyes blinked open in the light, and a large smile stretched across his face, causing his eyes to squint in a friendly appearance.

Ivan leapt to the top of the tires, stretching and shaking his thick white fur to rid himself of the lingering sleepiness. Yawning loudly, the large cat jumped to the ground with a heavy thud that shifted the tires next to him. He eyes the lightening sky above, a few puffy clouds stained orange and purple as they drifted lazily along.

_Time to grab some prey._ The tom commented to himself as began to exit the alley. Until something caught his eye.

A few pieces of chicken, entirely whole and still on the bone, lay undisturbed next to his nest. The happy cat's smile brightened immensely.

_They left me food!_

Bounding over, Ivan grabbed one of the pieces out of the pile and set to furiously tearing at the meat in order to fill his starving belly. The chicken was still warm and soft, meaning some cat went through the trouble of stealing from Nofurs to get it.

_I can't believe they would go through all that trouble just to reward me! I mean, it wasn't even that big of a problem. I handle stuff like that daily. Seems like taking from Nofurs would be more of a problem than that dog was._

But he put such criticism out of his mind. If they wanted to give him such a lavish gift, who was he to stop him? And it wasn't the first time. He almost got gifts like this daily. Rewards as thanks for solving problems other cats in the alleys were too weak to solve themselves. A strange glow warmed in Ivan's stomach.

_Maybe… maybe they'd want to be friends?_ He questioned hopefully.

But a rock of doubt immediately crushed it. He thought this every time a cat brought something for him. That it was a gesture of admiration and friendship, that they wanted to hang out more. But it was not so. If anything, it was meant as a gift of appeasement. So that he would not turn such strength on them.

"U-um, sir?" A quivering voice sounded from the mouth of the dead end.

Lifting his head, Ivan spotted the one cat who was, I guess, "close to him." In an incredibly loose sense of the term. A smile graced his features, and his eyes squinted in the she-cat's direction.

"Why good morning, Stripe!" he called to the tabby.

The she-cat squeaked and averted her gaze, dropping slightly to the floor. As Ivan got closer, he saw shivers racking her body.

_Oh, no._ He sighed._ Not again. Not today. Come on, Ivan, concentrate! Be friendly. Look friendly. Stop doing… whatever it is that scares them off!_

But no matter how Ivan searched himself, he could find nothing to suggest why he was so off-putting to others. He spent days at a time at the water puddle practicing his smile until his expression rivaled the friendliest guy on the street. He studied how other cat's interacted, memorized dialogue, and how one cat greeted and talked to another. Everything he did practically radiated friendship. But still they cowered in fear at his paws. He always addressed them as equals, never slaves or non-superiors, and always offered to share with them in whatever he had. What more could he do?!

But Ivan never stopped trying. He sat back on his haunches and bid that perfect smile to come back to his face, and he spoke quietly and gently to Stripe.

"So, what do I have the honor of seeing you on such a lovely day for?"

Stripe, still shaking, turned her head slightly to look towards him, green eyes filled with anxiety.

"W-well, I was wondering if you were enjoying the chicken."

"You were!" Ivan could not contain the scream of joy the words came in. _She wondered about me!_

But immediately he regretted it, as Stripe yelped and pressed closer to the ground, shaking even more and averting her eyes once more.

"I-I'm sorry, sir! Please don't be angry with me for asking!" A pit opened in Ivan's stomach.

"No, no, no. Please, stop quivering. I didn't mean to scare you!" And though the she-cat straightened a bit, she refused to meet his gaze or address him as anything other than sir.

"The group from yesterday brought them." She remarked, voice quiet and unassuming.

"Yes, I suspected that. Did you thank them for me?" She squealed again and dropped into that submission pose.

"N-no, I didn't. Please don't be angry!" Ivan sighed in frustration. He was done trying this morning.

He stood and Stripe cringed slightly, fearing his paws. Ivan paced towards the back of his alley, towards where a black metal stairway led to the top of the den beside him.

"I'm going out for a run." He mentioned casually, not giving away any of his feelings. "Stripe? Feel free to have some chicken while I'm out." At that, he leapt up to the first landing, and continued upward at a brisk pace.

Stripe's gaze followed him in wonder at his strength and speed. Any other cat would be panting for air at the top, but Ivan, not missing a beat, turned on a dime from the landing and launched himself to the roof on the other side, traveling from den to den in this manner. A shiver of excitement and fear ran through her. She feared that cat's cold eyes and huge stator immensely, but it was his captivating power and stance that kept her close to him; he would always be a source of protection, even if he was unbelievably scary.

The she-cat turned to the pile of chicken, and greedily bit into the warm flesh. That wariness of his eyes faded from her mind just a bit as food filled her belly.

Ivan raced from platform to platform, using roves, window sills, rooftop gardens, more metal stairways; any perch his paws could grasp to run above his territory. All former regrets and worries were forgotten as he stopped on a particularly high roof.

The sun had risen fully now and illuminated the landscape bellow him. The world was glowing in yellow light, and he could see the cats of his alleys beginning their day. Ivan let out a powerful yowl that could rival a lion's. All this was his. The streets, the dens, the cats that lived in it. All respected him as the strongest of the alley cats. Any food or thing he wanted within the borders was his. This was his kingdom. Who cares if he had no friends? No one to talk to… or to relate with…

Ivan sighed. Who was he kidding? He cared. He wanted nothing more than to share this view with someone, someone who would look at all he had with awe, and laugh with him and ask questions about it, who would come over every day to hang around, perhaps even be brave enough to stand beside him in battle. He had tried several times to get Stripe to run with him… but it never worked. She always acted submissive and refused adamantly.

Now crest fallen, Ivan followed the edge of the roof to the far side of the den, dropping then to a window sill bellow. The den now blocked his view and most of the sunlight, leaving Ivan in shadow.

_Alone in the dark… Like always._

Though lost in his pitty party, Ivan saw a flash of fur just outside his field of vision. Craning his head in curiosity, he spotted two cats walking side by side down the alley. One was a calico, the other a cat with bright yellow fur which curled oddly around his body.

_A cat with curls? Never seen that before._ He commented to himself.

In fact… he had never seen these cats before, he was sure of it. And that was odd. He knew every cat that lived in his alleys, every kit, every elder, simply because he liked to know who everyone was, even if they didn't want to be his friends. But these two… he had no idea who they were.

The cats continued onward in step, heads bent close as if they were talking about something important. Eventually, they came to a point where the alley split off into another pathway lined with wooden fences and trash bins. Taking a moment to consider, the cats turned and walked into the new alleyway, and Ivan gasped as a rock hit his stomach.

In a flash, he was on his paws, racing across the buildings as fast as he could towards where the cats had entered.

_Those mouse brains!_ He scolded to himself. _Don't they have any idea what lives in that alley?_

Letting a stream of curses fly as he ran, Ivan pushed himself harder.

_I just hope I'm not too late…_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

It had taken Francis quite some time to convince Yao to follow him down the section where the alley split. The curly furred tom could simply take no more of being out here like this. The alleyway they had currently been walking was spread wide and open, with plenty of vantage points for others to spot them from and numerous places to hide in the shadows, and all of it put Francis on edge. After their encounter with the vicious rouges from earlier, his nerves had been rocked to the core, and now his non-confrontational instincts told him to run and hide in the smallest corner of the darkest part of this retched place until his Nofur came and found him.

He almost wanted to cry at the thought. His poor Nofur! She had to be worried sick about them, and constantly walking around was not going to help her find them any sooner. He just wanted her to locate them, to pick him up with secure arms and stroke friendly paws down his back, to coo over his head affectionately and take him back home, out of the denning place forever. He wanted so bad to curl up by the fire and forget about all he had seen, all that had happened; the destruction, the danger, the chaos; just to leave it all behind. He couldn't stand it! So taking this different path, which looked small, safe, and secure, called to his cowardly nature instantly.

Yao, on the other hand, was of a different opinion. He was a stubborn cat, had been since kithood. Never one to let an insult slide or an impossible task undone, fear did not shut him down like it did Francis, but pushed him forward instead, made him mad at his own weakness and quick to lash out. He wanted nothing more than to slash his claws down those flee bitten cat's faces, but even they scared him. Broke that brave persona and turned him into a fleeing coward just like his friend. But now that they were gone, he was angry. And each stride he took filled his body with agitation. He cursed the Nofur for leaving them there, cursed the rouges for having no one else to torture, and cursed the earth _itself_ for getting them into this mess in the first place. If they just kept moving, maybe they could find a way out, and everything could go back to normal. So when Francis suggested the back way…

"The back way?!" Yao's fur practically burst off his body in rage. "Why on this whole star forsaken earth would we take the back way?!"

"Well… because… a fence lined rout seems like the better way." Yao sent him a glare. "And because it seems small and out of the way…"

"Oh, this is just like you, Francis! Running away again, never able to stick to one plan. We should keep going straight, ride this one out until we hit a wall. We don't need to get lost again!"

"We won't be getting lost! And besides, who's to say this isn't the wrong way? It hardly looks safe at all, it goes deeper into the denning place, and we want to get out! It was a bad idea to come here in the first place!"

"_You_ picked this way!"

Francis was stumped. He had no smart retort or clever idea to get him out now. He eyed the alleyway again.

"Maybe, but… but now I'm trying to fix it!" He fluffed indignantly. "I'm sure this is the wrong way, and being out here could be bad news for us!" Unable to hide his fear any longer, his voice dropped to a whisper. "What if those cats come back again?"

_It'll be good riddance for them, I'll tell you._ Yao thought. Lost in day dreams of slashing rouge throats and ripping tails, oblivious to the fact that they would be the ones tearing him apart.

The desperation was clear on Francis' face. It was evident all this made him very uneasy and uncomfortable. So Yao gave in with a sigh, anything for his friend.

"Alright, alright. Let's try the back way."

The sun was noticeably high in the clear blue sky as Yao and Francis continued onward. Fences lined in each direction, and not much had changed, aside from a few times where the path split into new directions. Francis was thankfully following Yao's plan now of sticking to one path until it ended. After a few moments of walking in this more secluded spot, the golden tom had loosened up a bit, going back to his eloquent talking self, head and tail held high and proud as usual.

Since not much interesting was located in the alley, staring at wooden posts and trash bins all day was not exactly riveting, the cats had switched to short, pointless conversation. Which devolved into Francis just complaining about aches in his paws, his back, his tail; everywhere, really. Yao rolled his eyes and flattened his ears in an effort to drown out pointless prattle. He should never have remarked that he thought there was a pebble wedged in his pads.

But despite all that, something was lifting the fur along Yao's spine. Even though the sun shone directly and bright, strange shadows where thrown across the posts. A cold wind blew down Yao's spine, and the cat shivered with uneasiness, hackles rising. Despite that he scented nothing weird, heard barely any sounds, none abnormal, something was just… off.

"Hey, Francis?" He whispered. "Do you… feel something? Like there's… someone else here?"

"What? No." His friend remarked in a loud, unconcerned voice. "I don't feel anything-"

Francis' words died in his throat as they turned the corner and came face to face with a swinging, brown and white tail. The large body it was attached too was currently reaching up to a trash bin, head ducked inside. Down the alley, several more bodies with swinging tails snuffed and rummaged in other bins that littered the way. As the cat's entered, all heads turned to them.

"DOGS!" Francis and Yao cried in fear.

Huge heads with long mussels stuffed the air before them, and lips drew back in a snarl revealing sharp, white teeth. The pack growled low, all dropping to the ground, saliva dripping to the dusty floor.

Shrieking once more, Yao and Francis turned and ran, yipping pack straight on their tails. The toms pelted as fast as physically possible, all other pains and qualms forgotten in high paced fear. Growls and barks sounded not far behind, the dogs slowly gaining speed. The pack was numerous and many of the dogs were large, all with snarling faces and intense eyes, the thirst for blood noticeable in their hungry gaze. Split laces their mouths, coating their tongues as they lolled out of their mouths. The beasts barked and yelped with excitement and the desire to rip, tear and eat.

Yao's eyes stretched wide at the sight, painting heavily as they streaked ahead, struggling to find some way to lose them. Francis' eyes spotted a split.

"This way!" He shouted as Francis turned fast down the other alley, Yao not far behind.

The dogs slowed for a moment and struggled to fit themselves through, so anxious they could not wait until the dogs in front cleared the entrance to follow the cats. Yao and Francis ran farther still, howls of the hunt sill ringing the air as the starving strays continued the chase.

Making another turn, Francis stopped short and Yao cried in anguish. They had rain smack into a dead end. The cats turned wide eyed towards the entrance, fur fluffed to twice their size in fear. The high toned barks and spit filled growls grew louder, pounding of heavy paws on dirt becoming stronger as death approached their last stand.

Yao and Francis huddled close, panic radiating through their bodies and spreading to the tips of their fur. As they saw the first tooth filled mussel come into view, the cats shut their eyes, waiting for it all to end.

Something clattered from above, one of the may trash tins stacked several high by the fence wall rattled and shook from where it stood at the top. And just as the first few dogs ran through, the cans fell one after the other and onto the unsuspecting beasts. They let out whines of pain and surprise as heavy metal crashed on top of them, sending dog tumbling over dog as they piled up in front, stopping the rest of the pack from running through.

Before the dumb creatures could gather themselves and figure out a way around, a battle cry broke the air, and a white flash flew from behind the cans and onto the face of the first dog. It shrieked, whined, and howled as its slim brown form twisted in an effort to shake whatever was currently trying to claw its eyes out. One of the others came to its assistance, only to have the white creature latch onto it.

Panic broke out throughout the pack as it leapt from dog to dog, biting and scratching at eyes, noses and ears. Several tried to counter the thing, only to have it leap from view and clamp down hard on parts of themselves and their brothers. Dogs flailed and tripped on one another, trampled smaller dogs, and whined in desperate confusion. The white blur was everywhere at once. Cutting slashing, hitting, blinding dogs by taking out their eyes, boxing them hard in the face and sometimes removing teeth. One small dog was kicked squarely in the chest, and ran from the alley screaming with its tail between its legs. The struggle continued to the wide eyes of Francis and Yao.

At last when all the dogs were sufficiently cut and beat, the flash of white flew off the pack, and landed squarely at the mouth of one of the trash cans. Light shone through a hole in the bottom, and tossed its shadow across the back wall. The dogs cowered from the monstrous form that loomed behind them. The white beast inside let out a huge yowl, which was amplified by the trash can to such a volume that it filled all corners, and sent shivers down the dog's spines. With a yelp from the leader, all the skimpy mutts turned and fled, crying and whimpering all the way. The white form from the can stepped out, and perched himself at the top, standing firm and tall, gazing sternly after their fleeing forms.

Francis and Yao gazed at the white furred tom with awe and open jaws while the pitiful cries of the once fearsome pack faded into the distance. The tom sighed in relief, tense muscles going slack as he turned to the frightened felines currently backed against the fence.

Francis recoiled from his face. He had such a warm and caring smile, but the eyes. The eyes were dark and bleak, colder than snow and more desolate than a dessert. Francis looked at him and saw nothing but chilling blackness and fear gripped his body in response. The curly tom whimpered and hid behind Yao, shivering slightly. What cruel fate, saved from a pack of dogs only to be clawed to bits by the incarnation of death itself!

Yao saw the same shadow within the gaze of the imposing figure before them, but the calico pushed against that wall of cold nothing with intense vigor given strength by the uneasiness coursing his pelt. He rose stubbornly to his paws and posed rigid over his friend, glaring daggers at this new comer.

Ivan flinched slightly after Francis ran and hid behind Yao.

_Oh, not again. Not with these cats, too. Come on, Ivan, be friendly!_

"H-hello, there!" He waived his tail slightly in greeting.

Francis was still hiding, and Yao was giving him funny looks. An awkward silence descended for a moment, Ivan holding an awkward smile. He sighed and sat back on his haunches. The white tom forced himself to remain calm and speak naturally.

"So, um… are you and your friend all right?"

Francis peaked out from behind Yao for a moment, the gentleness of his voice surprising the tom. Yao, however, was not sure if he was trustworthy. Despite being the one to save them, the dark, coldness in his gaze still set Yao on edge.

"Who wants to know?"

"Oh, yes! Forgive me for being so rude. My name is Ivan."

Yao said nothing, believing this cat to be in no place to receive introduction. He felt a tug on his tail.

"What is it, Francis?" he hissed quietly.

"Introduce us."

"What? Why?"

"Well because it's only proper etiquette, Yao. We don't need this cat believing us to be a bunch of street ruffians. We were raised with manners."

"Then you come out here and tell him!"

Francis shifted farther behind him.

"No, that's okay. You do it."

Yao rolled his eyes and turned back to Ivan.

"I am Yao. And this cowardly thing is Francis."

"Hello, Yao. And hello, Francis. I'm sorry I scared you."

Francis ducked his head out again, feeling calmer now that Ivan was no longer staring directly at him.

_It's working!_ The white cat thought to himself.

Yao cleared his throat.

"Well, thank you for saving us from the dogs. That was quite impressive."

Ivan's chest swelled with pride at the complement. He got so few that were not worthless praise driven by fear. He found this calico to be quite interesting. He showed no signs of being afraid as he stood before Ivan, never crouched or waivered in his voice. It was a new feeling to be talked to as an equal. But another thought crept into his mind, and a pit of anxiety opened in his stomach.

"About that. I wanted to ask, what were you thinking coming down here?"

Yao and Francis stared questioningly at him, Yao a bit peeved that Ivan might be calling them stupid.

"Wait, did you not know about the pack of dogs?"

"Of course not!" Yao shouted, anger getting the best of him as he shoved his mussel into Ivan's face. "We're not even from here! How were we supposed to know that?"

"You're not from here?"

"No, we live with the fancy female Nofur outside the denning place. Neither of us have ever been back here in our lives!"

Realization struck Ivan's face. No wonder he didn't recognize them. Of course he would know two of his own cats, but Yao and Francis were clearly lost. Yao turned, abandoning Francis as his cover to walk carefully around Ivan.

"Now if you don't mind, we'll be going." Francis yelped and ran over to Yao's side, opposite of Ivan, whom he was staring warily at.

Ivan's heart sank. He couldn't let them get away! These were the first cats to talk to him normally! Well, Francis was still afraid, but Yao clearly was not. This could be his only chance to make a real friend.

"Wait!" He called. Yao halted abruptly.

"I can help you."

Yao turned curiously towards him.

"You can?" Francis spoke up this time in surprise, his desire to get home overwhelming the grip of fear.

"Yes. You may not know this, but I'm sort of the big authority around here. As the strongest cat, all the other rouges and loners respect me as some sort of leader. I know every inch of the denning place. I could get you out of here." Yao would have originally thought that to be a proud statement, but the melancholy way in which he said it seemed to suggest he hated having such a title pressed upon him.

Joy appeared on the golden tom's face, but Yao interjected.

"No thanks," he replied coldly. "We'll be fine."

Ivan was downtrodden as the calico tom turned back again, but Francis stopped his way.

"He's coming." He demanded.

"What? But we have no idea if he is trustworthy!"

"I don't care. I just want to get home, and if we keep stumbling around at this rate, we'll just end up starved or chewed to bits! He's coming."

Yao sighed.

"Fine, fine. Hey, fuzz pelt! Ivan, or whatever. Get up, you're coming with us, at least to the edge of the denning place."

Ivan grinned with glee. Rising to his paws, the giant tom took the lead, taking them the opposite direction of where they had been headed.

"See, I told you it was that way." Yao replied smugly as the cats trotted off down the fence lined path.

_I will be taking a vacation for a few days, and school starts soon after that, so it may be a while before the next update._

_I was also considering a new series to make in between these chapters that involves a different reality, where the human countries encounter and adopt these cats that share their names and personalities. It would involve mainly one shots of cats doing cute things, but it would be a nice way to fill content space in between updates as well as a way to work out writer's block._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

"Fox dung!" Ludwig cussed as he stared frustratedly at the tall metal dens that currently blocked them in a corner.

"We lost it!"

"And we've gotten lost in the process." Kiku murmured nervously next to him.

Feliciano whined despairingly as he searched the wall of dens for an opening.

They had set off early that day from the park, following the sounds of an emergency Metal Beast from within the denning place. The trio had caught flashes of a white pelted Beast zooming throughout the dens, but trying to follow it led to nothing more than a dead end. Now all three where at the end of their ropes, patience wearing thin as the search for Feliciano's Nofurs grew desperate. Kiku and Ludwig where beginning to believe they would never find them. But Feliciano refused to give up. They had to be out there, they just had to!

"What do we do now, Ludwig?" Kiku questioned, turning towards the blond tabby who was scanning the alleyway. Over the past few days, Kiku had grown to trust and rely on Ludwig to make the best decisions, looking towards him as a sort of leader. Feliciano was gazing expectantly at his friend.

The tabby racked his brain for an answer. He was at a complete loss for leads in their current situation. They had no Meatal Beasts to follow, no clue where in the denning place they were, and no idea where the Nofurs would have been taken in the first place! Kiku said the beasts went to the Nofur healers, but none of them had any idea where that was. He sighed and turned back to the others.

"Well… I guess we retrace our steps and start walking. Kiku, do you think you could recognize the Nofur healing den?"

"Well, they did have a distinct look. Mostly white with that same red cross on it as the Metal Beasts do… But I don't know where it is."

"That's alright. We'll search the whole denning place if we have to. We need to find Feliciano's Nofurs."

Feliciano's eyes filled with emotion, thankful that Ludwig was still willing to find them.

"Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky today."

Ludwig regretted his words by sunhigh. They had been looking around all day, and the desperate search had gotten them nowhere. Every den and Black Path so far looked the same, going on and on endlessly in all directions. Kiku examined each structure, only to find it was not the healing den, and moving on to the next one. The heat was still building as the day wore on, and they found themselves deep in the bowels of the denning place.

The tall buildings bit into the sky like rabid teeth and cast deep shadows across the ground. A chill swept through the shaded areas, ruffling the fur along their spines. Feliciano whined slightly in fear and nervousness, pressing closer to Ludwig's side.

Ludwig's gaze flashes in slight annoyance at his cowardly actions, his patience wearing thin at their inability to get out and constantly getting lost, but softens slightly at the expression on his friend's face. He was obviously unnerved and needed Ludwig's comfort, of which he was happy to give.

The trio turned a corner only to be met with a dark dead end. Kiku growled in frustration, fur bristling as a rare flash of anger bubbled up through his formerly calm demeanor. Ludwig's head whipped back and forth, struggling to devise a possible plan.

"Well…" he spoke unsurely. "I suppose we go back this way."

"Yeah, like that will help…" Kiku murmured, unconvinced.

Ludwig's fur bristled slightly.

"Did you say something, Kiku?"

Regret for muttering the words aloud spiked in Kiku's chest, and he forced himself to swallow his anger.

"No. I said nothing."

But Ludwig's sensitive ears had caught the mumbled words, and frustration broke his tact.

"No, if you've got something on your chest, say it!" He was trying his best! Who was anyone to criticize his actions? He was only trying to help his friends. Who did Kiku think he was?

"Well I was just thinking that we already tried that way. It's obvious you don't know what you're doing. Maybe you should try listening to some other cat for once!" though anger pushed his words, they were still spoken in the soft tone that Kiku had taken seasons to perfect.

He was just as overwhelmed as Ludwig, struggling with being on this long journey through all this pain and hardship. The harsh words spoken were not meant, but he was so fed up with being lost and unsure of where to go next. Why couldn't Ludwig just admit he had no clue where they were going?!

Feliciano crouched nervously between the two, ears flat and eyes flickering from cat to cat in nervousness. Ludwig stepped closer to Kiku, hackles raised in agitation.

"What, do you think you know the way? You, the cat who's never been on the streets, know the way out?"

"No, of course not!" Kiku shouted in controlled rage. "But maybe we should ask for some help!"

"Ha! Shows what you know!" Ludwig growled at his ignorance. "You can't ask any cat in this place for help. Most would sooner rip your pelt off the second they spotted you! The rest are either too crazy or stupid to help."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try!" Kiku was losing control now. This wasn't like him, but he just couldn't help it anymore. Built up anxiety and pressure was causing both toms to snap like twigs in a strong breeze.

"Stop!" Feliciano jumped up and stood firm between the two. "Stop it! This isn't what friends do!"

Ludwig and Kiku stood in shock, anger gone in a flash as soon as Feliciano broke the tension in their stare. Eyes flickered from one to another nervously, both cats feeling immense shame in their actions, but with their pride still too big to swallow.

Light hearted laughter drifted through the air above them, and all three lifted their heads to see a cat perched precariously on an open pipe protruding from one wall of the alley before disappearing into a hole in the other. A light brown tabby she cat with cream coloring on her stomach swayed slightly as the skinny pipe shifted under her weight, a humorous glint in her eyes.

"Well that was quite a show of emotion wasn't it?"

Ludwig and Kiku dropped into a defensive position, claws out and poised in case the she cat tried to get the drop on them.

"Who are you?" Ludwig demanded in a gruff voice.

Feliciano still stood upright between them, looking up at the cat with more curiosity than fear.

"Well, someone's a bit jumpy." She voiced, her tone sounding offended. "Though I suppose that's a valuable skill when lost in the alleys, especially for a few house cats. I'm Elizabeta, pleased to make your acquaintance." She bowed slightly as she finished, pipe bending and swaying deeper as her body sifted.

Ludwig stood, claws sheathed but still wary of attack.

"How did you know we were house cats?"

"Well, only new born kits and house cats don't know there way around these parts. And you don't look like kittens to me. Say, am I not worthy enough to receive an introduction in return?"

Ludwig stepped forward, about to tell the nosy she cat that it was none of her business, but a brown furred head popped up in front and interrupted.

"Hi! I'm Feliciano!" he waved his tail excitedly in greeting. "This is my best friend Ludwig, and my other friend Kiku."

"Pleased to meet you." The black tom dipped his head respectfully, regaining the composure he had lost in misguided anger.

Ludwig growled at his best friend. Revealing such information could be dangerous.

Elizabeta giggled slightly. "Well, the Rabbittail sure is polite!"

Kiku stiffened a bit, but remained calm.

"It's Bobtail, not Rabbittail, miss."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She seemed genuinely concerned. "It's been a long time since I last met one, my memory must have slipped."

"That's alright." Kiku replied.

Ludwig growled again. Now was no time for making small talk with a stray. The blond tabby pushed his way forward, craning his head to look up towards the she cat.

"Okay, that's enough introductions. Now, care to tell us what you want?"

"Alright, Mr. Grumpy Pelt." She chided. "I want to help you."

Ludwig's ears flattened in confusion.

"Help us?"

"Yes, help you."

"And what makes you think we need help?"

"Well that argument back there sure didn't sound like you knew where you were going."

Ludwig's fur bristled in frustration. Elizabeta was already running circles around him in this conversation, and she didn't even sound like she was trying to bug him! Her voice was polite and kind, with each word from her mouth full of genuine concern and emotion. Ludwig refused to be outsmarted.

"Well, what makes you think you can help us?"

"I grew up here. I know these alleys like I know my own scent. I could easily get you back to open territory."

"Territory?"

"Yeah, you may not know this, but you're kind of trespassing right now."

All three stiffened in surprise.

"Trespassing?" Ludwig questioned.

"Yeah, all the back alleys are split into territories owned by different groups. And after the earthshake turned everything on its head, the borders have all been a mess, and all the cats in the area are in a desperate rush to claim new land while protecting their own. The rouges have been twice as hostile as of late, and the last thing I would want to see is a few house cats getting their throats slashed open because of a miss understanding." Elizabeta's expression shifted to fear, unnecessary slaughter sent shivers down her spine.

Feliciano yelped and hid between Ludwig's legs. "I don't wanna get cut open!" He shivered and shook at the idea.

Kiku was now warily eyeing the corners of the alley, expecting to see lithe and powerful forms creep from the darkness ready to strike.

Ludwig took a moment to run over his decisions. If the alleys were really under such heavy chaos and border struggles, it would be bad to get caught up in the middle. There was no way they could fight off a group of hungry, enraged rouges out for blood. Their only option was to trust this she cat to get them out, though Ludwig was still not willing to give her the full benefit of the doubt.

"Alright. We'll take you up on your offer."

Elizabeta perked up in surprise.

"But one wrong move, and we're out." Feliciano flinched again at Ludwig's threat, but Elizabeta looked undeterred.

"Okay!" she mewed cheerfully. "It's settled then. Hop on this pipe and follow me."


End file.
